Russkaja_CoverRusskaja, the Russian polka, trash metal, world jazz and Zappa-rockers (as said on their info pack) were founded by singer Georgij who was originally vocalist for Nuclear blast signed trash band ‘Stahlhammer’. The band have played such greats as Wacken Open Air and then odd ones like Chiemsee Reggae… so you know we’re going to be in for something a bit different to the norm..

A brilliant start to the album with ‘Energia’, think Madness, Korpiklaani and a touch of Reggae mixed together in one daft mess and you’ve pretty much got the jist of this. If you can’t imagine it, then seriously buy this, unlike anything I’ve ever heard! Pure comedy gold! Anyhow, on a serious note (which is pretty damn hard with this music) the riffs are catchy and the chorus is luckily in English so you can have a good sing a long. ‘Barada’ is completely different to the first track which is almost crooner lounge music. However, the fun and tempo comes back with ‘Radost moja’ sounding like a load of pissed up guys in an oompa band singing in a circus! It has to be listened to in order to be believed!!

‘Autodrom’ what the hell and how the hell did they manage to put a bit of thrash in with this kinda stuff.. Metallica meets the Russian Worzels? Haha!! And you know what? It’s superb! And guaranteed after a few bevvies you’ll be jigging about the room to this!

All I can imagine with the track ‘Istanbul’ is a greasy, tanned bloke in a white suit shuffling about the ladies…then there’s ‘Violina Mia’ which you could probably end up listening to at your local Nando’s restaurant.

It seems the more I’m listening to this album the less amusing it is and makes you wonder if these guys are actually serious with this music.. It quickly went from cool to…. Oh dear…I definitely take back my earlier comment of buying this….

‘Ajajaj’ sounds like a very, very bad rap song with jazzy notes, something you’d expect to be on comic relief… yet fails to make me laugh due to the deadpan feeling and falling flat on its own arse.

Swiftly moving to the last track ‘Sorry’, a full English vocal part….. and by god its bloody grim… think of a depressed wedding singer who can’t pull a note together, crying into his microphone…ugh!!

I thought this was going to be one of those surprisingly good messed up albums, it had potential but unfortunately didn’t live up to the initial idea..

(4/10 Charlene Rance) 

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