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Viza: Aria

Viza's latest album Aria is another interesting release courtesy of Graviton Music Services. The band formed in 2000 and have three full length albums to their credit. Band members are K'noup (lead vocals), Orbel Babayan (guitars, vocals, keys), Shant Bismejian (guitars), Andrew Kzirian (oud, vocals), Alex Khatcherian (bass, vocals) and Chris Daniel (drums, vocals). Six additional musicians provide vocals, percussion, keyboards, violin and clarinet.

This is a culturally diverse band as some band members have Armenian and Greek roots. It is this blending of cultures that makes Aria a worthwhile listen. The band mixes metal, folk and rock into a highly listenable yet sophisticated sound. Acoustic and electric guitars share equal billing and K'noup's lead vocals are excellent. He has an interesting tone and offers a rich palette of contrasting styles. The songs are catchy yet a little off the beaten path as ethnic instruments like the oud are used to good effect. "C'est La Vie" combines metal with oriental influenced acoustic guitar. Delicate acoustic passages are offset with heavy metallic riffs making for a nice contrast in sound. "Vicktor's Vanguard" is a pretty catchy folk rock tune with an Eastern European flavour while the moody "The Girl That Doesn't Exist" is a pretty ballad dominated by acoustic guitar and piano. My personal favourite is probably "Vanished" with its Middle Eastern guitar riffs and acoustic touches reminding me of the great Israeli band Orphaned Land.

Viza has made a sophisticated and moody album with Aria. The band's unique combination of catchiness and eclecticism should really appeal to many aficionados of rock and metal music.


Track Listing:
1. Never Feel
2. Quicksand
3. Midnight Hour (Dingle Rock)
4. Vanished 5
. Viktor's Vanguard
6. The Girl That Doesn't Exist
7. Forward March
8. Beneath The Waves
9. C'est La Vie
10. Alley In Tijuana
11. Take Over The World
12. Brunette

Added: October 22nd 2014
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 1612
Language: english

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