Azazello - Upstairs

Azazello is a current Russian band led by guitarist/singer Alexander KULAK. This music sounds so far from the beaten tracks of Progressive Rock that it seems to come from nowhere. There nothing surprising knowing that it is a side-project of MORG, a genuine thrash-metal band !!! Helped by an impressive musical culture, these four Slavic musicians mix strongly marked rhythms with a complex writing, incessant tempo changing's, borrowings to various styles (Classical, symphonic, hard-rock and even Eastern Europe folklore) till summits only reached by Franck ZAPPA ! After an excellent "Black Day" album in 2000, Azazello comes back the year after in the limelight of Progressive rock with "Upstairs", from now on under Musea Records ! This opus is close to the first DECADENCE's work, it's compatriot. Like the latter, it's style remains mainly instrumental sung in Russian. This is a very interesting Slavic band we should keep on eye on.