Aria

With a career that will soon be entering its third decade, Aria have to be one of Russia's oldest and longest-running heavy metal bands. They are also among the most popular, even though poor distribution of their records, and their insistence on singing almost exclusively in their native tongue, has made it difficult for international audiences to discover the group. Formed in the pre-glasnost days of the early '80s by guitarist Vladimir Holstinin and singer Valery Kipelov, Aria released their first eponymous album in 1985. Along with much of their subsequent output -- includ...