Kino (Кино)
Gruppa Krovi (Группа Крови)

(NB: This is my first review, apologies for the perhaps somewhat uncertain style)

It was early May 2013, just 18 and about to take my final exams. One morning chatting with a friend of mine who was getting quite fixated on the post punk/new wave genre and similar styles at that time, he sent me a YouTube link to a song by a band I had never heard of before. The name of this band was Kino and the song in question was titled “Peaceful Night” and was featured in a music video starring the band leader (I later found out that this video was actually a clip from a film in which he acted). Initially, the song, although suggestive in its atmosphere accompanying the video, didn’t impress me much on the first listen; what left me quite baffled was that the song wasn’t in English as the title suggested, and not understanding immediately what language it was, I searched for the band on Wikipedia and discovered that the band was Russian (or rather Soviet to be more precise). It took another listen for me to appreciate the track, as the guitar solo struck me quite a lot, very simple to execute but spine-tingling, try to believe. Immediately after, I started to look for information on this band seemingly unknown to the general public and probably overlooked by many, but it only took browsing various pages and articles to prove myself wrong, but before getting to that, I think it's necessary to briefly define the band’s biography.

Kino was born in Leningrad (today St. Petersburg) in the then Soviet Union in 1981, towards the end of the Brezhnev era, in a music scene not very free due to the musical censorships imposed by the communist regime which defined rock music as a product of capitalism. The band was led by the then 19-year-old Viktor Tsoi, singer, guitarist, and poet, as well as the author of the group’s songs, a figure easily comparable to a Jim Morrison or Kurt Cobain. The band’s first album is titled “45,” so named for its length in minutes, and it presents as a folk/rock ‘n’ roll album, very well done and arranged, which is quite rare for a debut album, recorded also with the help of some members of another famous Russian rock band still existing today, Aquarium by Boris Grebenshikov. From the second album: Nachalnik Kamchatki, the band shifts to post punk/new wave sounds which continue to develop album after album. The stable formation of the band was reached in 1986 and features the aforementioned Tsoi on vocals and rhythm guitar, Yuri Kasparyan on lead guitar (notably appearing at Zucchero's concert at the Kremlin in 1990 alongside Andrea Braido in the song Many Rivers To Cross), Igor Tikhomirov on bass and Georgiy Guryanov on drums (rather semi-drums à la Stray Cats). The band released a total of 7 albums (one of which was released posthumously after disbandment) excluding compilations and live albums, and with each publication, the band’s fame grew to become the symbol of a people hungry for change, demonstrated by the fact that their concerts in stadiums were very well-attended. Unfortunately, the band’s story ends in August 1990 with the death of Viktor Tsoi in a car accident at only 28 years old, too “old” to enter the 27 Club. Even today Kino, like Tsoi himself, are well-remembered in the former Soviet republics, and their songs are still sung and played a lot by local bands.

Let’s come to the actual review then.

The album I’ve chosen to review is Gruppa Krovi (the fifth one to be precise). Why the fifth, you ask? First of all, because it was the first album I listened to by them, “Peaceful Night” indeed comes from this record; it is one of the best records of the band, which defined the maturity of Russian rock and finally because personally it is one of my favorite albums ever (and I’m not kidding). Let’s analyze the tracks:

• The record opens with the title track "Gruppa Krovi" which in English means "Blood Type" (this track was also recorded in English under the title "Blood Type"), some of you might have already heard it on the Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack. It is an anthem against war and features a fading intro, a drumbeat with a typical new wave rhythm quite danceable, a bass loop of a few notes intertwining with well-harmonized guitars, remarkable the repeated final solo characterized by overdubbed distorted electric guitars, all seasoned with goth-flavored keyboard sounds that closely resemble bands like The Sisters of Mercy.

• The next track is "Zakroy za mnoy dver', ya ukhozhu" (Close the door behind me, I'm leaving), it presents with a synth-pop rhythm that vaguely recalls "Take on Me" by A-ha; the track is enriched with piano parts and a small acoustic guitar solo.

• "Voyna" (War), another track about war, in the base, you can hear vaguely Latin-flavored percussion, the synths in the middle evoke the atmosphere of war and suffering combined with Tsoi's baritone voice, overdubbed in the cry of "Voyna" further emphasizes the mood.

• "Spokoynaya noch" (Peaceful Night): we return to the track mentioned at the beginning of the review, one of the quietest and most atmospheric pieces. Imagine yourself in a Russian city in the middle of winter late at night, snow-filled streets, people in coats and hats returning to their homes, there’s a serene tranquility around and a night-time atmosphere to contemplate. At the end, a guitar solo played with a few notes, then repeated an octave higher, placed well enough to raise the hair on your arms. Indescribable.

• "Mama, my vse soshli s uma" (Mama, We've All Gone Mad), a more animated and punkish track where Tsoi’s voice, at times a bit angry, manifests as a desperate cry emphasized by the intertwining of Kasparyan’s guitar and the keyboards.

• "Boshetunmay" (Some say it’s a term in Kazakh meaning "without a head" or something like that, others say it means nothing), a reggae-style piece built on a chord sequence on which you could easily sing "No Woman, No Cry," a piece with a very cheerful atmosphere, nothing more to add.

• "V nashikh glazakh" (In your eyes), another quite calm track where Tsoi sings at very low pitches, somewhat sensual at times, the translation of the lyrics indeed seems to be a love song. In the piece, the bass, accompanying the drums, acts as the lead instrument, the rest of the instruments seem just for background; at the end, guitar notes intertwined with the keyboard that ends in a fade-out.

• "Poprobuy spet' vmeste so mnoy" (Try to Sing Along With Me), a track with a rebellion-themed text where Tsoi appears to address the listener to join him, to march and sing for a better tomorrow. Nothing to say about the base, consistent with the style of the other tracks.

• "Prokhozhiy" (Passerby), a piece with a drum rhythm played with very hard hits, a very prevalent bass, and at some points, guitar with a 'robotic' flavor. Very cheerful atmosphere, characterized by near-falsetto choruses that enter after the verse. Towards the end, you can hear sampled sounds (probably from some film or cartoon).

• "Dal'she deystvovat' budem my!" (We Will Continue to Act!), there’s little to say, another track in line with the style of the others and another text that incites rebellion.

• The album concludes with "Legenda," a track played with just clean guitar, echoing bass drum, and synth and organ sounds giving an ambient tone to the piece, Tsoi’s voice is the icing on the cake. The track, as well as the album ends on sampled noises that at first hearing resemble gunshots and people screaming while in the last seconds the bass drum continues to echo until it closes alone at faded noises, almost as if symbolizing a heart beating, or stopping to beat...

A truly magnificent album in my opinion, although very likely not everyone will be able to stomach it, just like all their music, but I still recommend giving it a listen, maybe even more than one. If savored with attention I’m sure it will manage to be appreciated, also because I believe that great music doesn’t necessarily have to be sung in English (or Italian, French, Spanish, German, you name it).