I bought the album Made in Chernobyl from VIZA when they were opening up for Gogol Bordello last August, and I fell absolutely in love with it.
Review: VIZA – Made in Chernobyl
National Music Reviews
VIZA
Made in Chernobyl
Architects of Melody
Street: 01.01.2010
VIZA = Gogol Bordello + System of a Down + Judas Priest
I bought the album Made in Chernobyl from VIZA when they were opening up for Gogol Bordello last August, and I fell absolutely in love with it. Their opening track ,“Trans-Siberian Standoff,” is a prime example of VIZA’s Eastern European folk sound with an equal representation of a classic heavy metal tempo and equally heavily politically themed lyrics, topped with a face-melting guitar solo from Orbel Babayan. Other politically themed songs include “Napoleon Complex,” which gives ode to Napoleon Bonaparte, and “Dynamite” which explodes with Stalin references. Though they have some tough, aggressive songs, they also show their emotional side mainly through “My Mona Lisa,” and also show how they can slow down the music and still keep you hooked with their lyrics in “Fork in the Road.” The album has an even mixture of gypsy punk, folk, and hard rock—they can be heavy, fast and aggressive, but also be slow, sinister, emotional and political, and overall, it kicks ass. –Eric Norris
Made in Chernobyl
Architects of Melody
Street: 01.01.2010
VIZA = Gogol Bordello + System of a Down + Judas Priest
I bought the album Made in Chernobyl from VIZA when they were opening up for Gogol Bordello last August, and I fell absolutely in love with it. Their opening track ,“Trans-Siberian Standoff,” is a prime example of VIZA’s Eastern European folk sound with an equal representation of a classic heavy metal tempo and equally heavily politically themed lyrics, topped with a face-melting guitar solo from Orbel Babayan. Other politically themed songs include “Napoleon Complex,” which gives ode to Napoleon Bonaparte, and “Dynamite” which explodes with Stalin references. Though they have some tough, aggressive songs, they also show their emotional side mainly through “My Mona Lisa,” and also show how they can slow down the music and still keep you hooked with their lyrics in “Fork in the Road.” The album has an even mixture of gypsy punk, folk, and hard rock—they can be heavy, fast and aggressive, but also be slow, sinister, emotional and political, and overall, it kicks ass. –Eric Norris
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