Вперед и вверх / VPERED I VVERKH

I discovered the Russian band Orgia Pravednikov in 2005 when by accident I've found their first album in a Russian musical website. I was so impressed with that album (Oglashennye Izydite - Оглашeнные Изыдите) that I ended reviewing it to the first version of Progshine website, back in 2006. This review, by some miracle, was found by the vocalist/acoustic guitar player of the band Sergey Kalugin, that impressed with my review and the fact that a faraway person from Russia was able to understand their music, contacted me and sent me all of the band's CDs. Since them I receive all of their albums for review and I can say I'm Sergey's friend.

The last studio album by the band (Dlya Teh, Kto Vidit Sny Vol.1 - Для тех, кто видит сны. Vol.1) was a bit of a different step from their previous three albums and the EP Шитрок (Shitrock) was just but a taste. The fact is, the live album I review now shows exactly this change of sound.

Вперед и вверх ? Vpered I Vverkh (2014) ? meaning Onward And Upward ? was recorded in 2010 in the release concert of Dlya Teh, Kto Vidit Sny Vol.1 (2010) and it comes in a beautiful (as every of their albums) cardboard/papersleeve box with 2 CDs and a DVD, the art emulates the artwork of that studio album too.

To say that Orgia Pravednikov is an extremely competent band is being redundant. The professional side of things, like the execution of the songs, are just perfect and even the overall feeling of the concert can be felt through the audio of the CDs and later on confirmed on the DVD. The band in this concert, as it could not be different, plays Dlya Teh, Kto Vidit Sny Vol.1 (2010) in its entirety in the CD 1 of this live release. Just the order of the songs are a bit different here (to be honest didn't understand why). My favorite tracks on this first disc are 'The Catcher In The Rye', 'По тонкому льду' (Po Tonkomu l'du), 'Дорога ворона' (Doroga Vorona) and especially the fantastic 'Гимн' (Gimn). Another track from the CD 1 that is a surprise is 'Скименъ' (Skimen) because of its aggressive feeling but at the same time full of flutes, also the closing track on the CD 1 'Школа Мудрости' (Shkola Mudrosti) is a great track, upbeat and a perfect ending!

In the CD 2 we have the classic tracks of the other Orgia Pravednikov albums, we have 'Офис' (Ofis), 'Das Boot' and 'Армагеддон FM' (Armageddon FM) from the album Уходящее солнце - Ukhodyashcheye Solntse (2007) and 'Туркестанский экспресс' (Turkestanskiy Ekspress) from the debut album Оглашенные изыдите - Oglashennyye Izydite (2001). We also have a track that would be recorded only 2 years later on the EP Шитрок ? Shitrock (2012). Oddly we don't have any songs from their second studio album, the experimental Двери! Двери! ? Dveri! Dveri! (2005).

In the DVD we can see very clearly what a concert of the band is all about, not to mention that the video/audio are from excellent quality, redeeming the band from the medium quality of their previous DVD Солнцестояние ? Solntsestoyaniye (2008).

Вперед и вверх ? Vpered I Vverkh (2014) for sure closes a cycle for Orgia Pravednikov and we can see that they're pointing to new directions with their music and, to be honest, I hardly can wait for their next studio album!

Вперед и вверх ? Vpered I Vverkh (2014) is simply essential for the fans of the band and it's a perfect introduction to the new ones. If you like music that don't see any problem in not being labeled and if you like to know new quality music I can highly recommend this album for you!

Superb!

(Originally posted on progshine.net)

Onward and Upward' is a live album recorded on the 'For Those Who Dream. Vol.1' tour at Club Point, in Moscow, on February 19th 2010, and was released in 2014. It features the whole of the most recent album, as well as plenty more material (total playing time here is nearly two hours ' originally released as a triple disc set including a DVD, I have the digital version which doesn't include that). Although I wasn't a massive fan of the previous studio album, here it makes so much more sense and feels far more genuine. The band is a quintet, but while drummer Alexander Vetkhov contents himself just with percussion, and singer Sergey Kalugin only provides acoustic guitar, the other musicians all provide multiple instruments. Add to the core band the three guests, and they manage to reproduce their complex sound incredibly well on stage.

The crowd really get into proceedings, singing along with the songs, shouting for the band and genuinely having a great time, and it certainly seems as if the band was as well. Russian Cardiacs playing folk metal with no respect for people think that prog music should be like? Maybe? This is music that is so far out of the mainstream that it almost comes back on itself, and I have found that of all their albums this is the one to which I keep returning as there is such a pervading feeling of unity and oneness. Over recent years I have been lucky enough to discover some great bands coming out of Russia, and these guys are certainly one of the very finest and this is a superb album that is well worth investigating.