Arisk Priest

History of this group is full of dark spots, which are comply with their music and the image which was formed in spite of their wishes. It's a mysterious and weird people who dispersed all around the world and wrote their albums under their mystical inspirations. You could find more detailed information about this group on their web site. It has all they wanted to say about themselves. It's usually happen when you open any music for yourself and try to describe all you heard you find out that your vocabulary is poor and language is wretched. I always have some difficulties in a description of such kind of music. It's because this music is more than just music. You don't need in any words here because this music lies in a side of emotions, feelings and images. I think that the group has no many fans and frankly speaking, I'm very critical man and prefer traditional approach to folk-music. But, damn, this music draws us into the deep strange depths and awakes something mystical inside of the human nature (or maybe it's just something forgotten?). On the other hand, I doubt that the term «Group» could be adjust to these people. It's something more than the simple association of several musicians, and I can't certainly say what is it like I can't explain the difference between a song and ritual actions... In my opinion, we could draw a parallel between the earliest records of this group and Burzum and Graveland. For example, their album "The great fire in wreath" carries art-rock painting, but in recent works we could hear some echoes as Slavic as (do not be afraid of this word) Aryan traditions. So, the split with "Klich" is a proof of it. I tried to explain something about this group, but found out that I flied a fog and proved once again that "any word is saying is a lie". Part I. Aryan Satan. The group "Satanist" was not a serious project originally, but was only a side activity of two people: Ahriman, which played in the group "Ahura Mazda" at that time, - and Arisk Priest, for whom this project was the starting point in a music. The group "Satanist" started in 1999 as an independent project. The musicians made some kind of experiment when they decided to record two demos with a very brutal and heavy sound and a pressed atmosphere. All songs were severed in a style of the albums Abruptum and Judas Iscariot. These recordings which were recorded on magnetic media have not been issued and the group had deleted it. A few songs were recorded in 1999 which attracted the attention of a small Grecian label "Satana Records" specialized in the publication of true black metal groups. This label collected new songs promptly and published the first release under the title "Zoom ritual", which brought some good repute of the group in the rather narrow circles and on the underground scene of that time. In early 2000 the group started to play concerts in a small clubs in Greece. It lasted until 2001. In 2000 the group started to record a full album «Fuck black night», which was recorded at the end of 2001. A single "Fuck division" was issued before the release but was met quite cool by the audience. Only 500 copies were bought at that time. Some big changes started from 2002 when the musicians tried to find a new themes and the album "Experiments with religions" was issued as a final result. I don't want to say that this work is fully reflects the black metal. It shows the influence of early Black Sabbath, Budgie and other heavy metal groups of 70th. By the end of the year "Satanist" has changed the manner of performance once more time and moved towards to depression, calm voice, changing their style in the dark wave. This decision put a cross on their further development and the label which produced exclusively black metal refused to promote other music. So, the contract was canceled and the group was broke up. In spite of all failures Arisk Priest offered to Ahriman to take guitars and another instruments and start from the "white page". The group "Satanist" died at the end of 2001 and gave a full freedom to "Arisk Priest". Notes: Some of the albums of the group "Satanist" were published till 2004, it was because of the label which republished early releases. Thus, for example, "Ahura Mazda (Tenchu II)" which the band recorded in 2002 was released only in the 2004th. This is the last album and it's one of the most interesting albums of the group. Interesting fact: The idea of Satanism wasn't the ideology of the group. Ahriman was fully dipped in Zoroastrianism. It's the religion established on the base of revelations of the prophet Spitama Zaratushtra. So, his nickname Ariman, Ahriman, Angra-Mainyu from the modern Kazakh language literally means - a large distance and it makes sense - keep away from me. And the name of the first group "Ahura Mazda" means the God of Good in Zoroastrianism. But the Arisk Priest looked to the north at the same time and learned all legends of ancient Hyperborea. Part II. Thunders and lightings ancient Veda. The group "Arisk Priest" had five albums till last time: "Forest filosofem", "Pagan brothers", "Thunders and lightings Veda", "The great fire in wreath", "Finist the bright falcon" and two singles "Presence I" and "Abundance wreath". All of them were written on «illegal» sound-recording studio "Arisk Star". Arisk Priest's music is a series of experiments so it can't be only the black or pagan metal, it's generally the metal. It's a complex mixture of art-rock of the 70th with a modern electronic ambient, dark wave, and in addition, with the gloomy folk which named Shamanism. All this mixture includes evil, brutal atmosphere with heart-rending vocal and acute guitar. The group began in 1999 in Moscow as a duet of Alexander Morgan (guitar, vocal) and Ahriman (bass guitar). These guys created heavy group "Satanist" with a very hard sound. All we could know about the first creative steps of this group is only a rehearsal recordings, which have never been issued. The group gathered a lot of the backup material for the album "Fuck black night", which was released in 2001 and some later the "Experiments with religions" 2002. The group has changed its style in 2002 and created two quite unusual albums: "Ahura Mazda (Tenchu I)" and "Ahura Mazda (Tenchu II)". There is an interesting fact that the music of "Satanist" stopped to have a strange mad and black shade and started to do a pagan dark wave. "Satanist" finished their activity but it was a base for the unique style of "Arisk Priest". So, let's begin. In this quaint duet (later a trio), which was born at the end of 2001 played vocalist Alexander Arisk Priest and his partner "Satanist" Iskander, acting under the pseudonym of Ahriman (bass, percussion) . Even after their debut album "Forest filosofem" the style of "Arisk Priest" called as «art-rock pagan metal» and «ritual Aryan metal». The group wasn't like any other group but some critics attributed it to the followers of Burzum and even blamed them for plagiarism of his ideas. The name of the album "Filosofem" gives a hint at the great Norga. In 2003 one new member appeared in the group. It was a young and mysterious figure Astiki (real name Maria Veda) who brought the new turns in the music of the group. As the other musicians said she found one thing which they looked for a long time. And this thing was the originality. The new album "Pagan brothers" is incredibly sophisticated and use many interesting melodies in the spirit of the groups of 70th such as Camel, Pink Floyd, and in particular the Golden Earring with their album "Moontan". Their music is like a surprise because when you listening it you don't know what will happen at the next moment. And that's why it's very unusual for all pagan groups which consider monotony and stable sound. The quality of keyboards became much better and exactly in this part all complicated music hided. The album was quickly sold out and soon a new print run, of course, with black copy. Generally, this group consistently had the pirate force that certainly played into the hands only, but it didn't concern the budget. A group created their supporters, fans and even followers, such as: Finist, Morbid, Sherhell and German Folksturm. So, successful 2003 ended with publication of singles collections under the strange name "Presence I". In early 2004 the album "Thunders and lightings Veda" was released. This album is considered as a top of the keyboard skills. It creates a heavenly sound vibration which enters into the unconscious, creating an impression of open space. Probably this bootleg's of full album was sold out in ten times more than the official release - and it is not a surprise. The start track of this album is a wonderful three-minutes song "Good morning, Veda", which is charmed from the first time. There are just the keyboards and shamanistic tambourine in it but it's all vibrates and follows the listeners into the mystery and the fog. Next song "Thunders and lightings Veda" is the longest one in the history of the group (16 minutes 43 seconds). There is a qualified vocal in this song except keyboards but unfortunately, before that time the group has no any good studio to record a vocal better. Finally everything became more clear because neither similar to Burzum "Forest filosofem" nor "Pagan brothers" have such great power as the "Thunders and lightings Veda"! The group got into courage and started to write the next full album - "The great fire" ("The great fire in wreath") or as it is also called "Wreath" immediately. At the same time they played concerts and most memorable of it took place in 2004 in Larnaca. During the work on the new album in 2005 some troubles followed the group. Ahriman which has gone to Greece was under a trial for the murder of the Kurds' family. Astika was chained by her disease for a whole year. Alexander had to go back home in Russia because of the situation in his family. The record studio decided to break down this «critical» situation and told Alexander their conditions about the gathering of the new group, but he refused and went away for a while in a silence. The album "The great fire in wreath" was finished by Alexander and released at the end of 2005. The album was sad and gentle to listener's delight. This is a very confident, good album which shows that they are already professional musicians but not young and reckless people. This album was very balanced and incredibly complex and took the group away from the black-pagan metal closer to jazz and art rock. But only few people appreciated this album as a true value. When the album was released much problems started to follow the group again. Ahriman has got an eight years' term of punishment and Astika fought not only for the music but for her own life. The group has broken up and went away from the studio and label. Courage was over... But who could even think? It was a great surprise when the new album was released in 2006. It was completely in Russian and played alone with the gusli and flute from the traditional Slavonic Serpukhovskiy ensemble (Astika sang only one song "Finist and twenty-one knife"). "Finist the bright Falcon" was the radical turn in the creative life of the group. This album was made in the best traditions of the Polish pagan music Woodtemle and Graveland without any experiments. I'm not ready to tell you if it's good or bad. But this group surprised again! How much time the group could changes the direction? But it's certainly not the main thing! The main thing consisted in that group showed that they rise and has a strong character. There were two opinions about the group. Some old fans of the times "Thunders and lightings Veda" noted that the work is a plagiarism, and others agreed that it is one of the best releases of pagan music in the country. In my opinion this is an excellent work and I share a second view. I hope that the group will be in a good condition and record new albums. Besides, as I heard the recent encouraging news the group is looking for a new label and preparing to issue a long-awaited "Presence II". Notes: Astika Ida returned to "Arisk Priest" in May of 2007 and signed a contract for three albums. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.