Uber-arcane and mega-awesome Orthoodox Christian epic power metal . But dont let that label fool you, there's no "Glory glory hallelujah" happy worhipping here. It is rough, dark, powerful album, with the gravely, vodka-fueled voice of Anatoly painting a bleak sinister picture of what awaits us for the pitiful sinners we certainly are. And the picture ain't pretty to say the least, no Sire! Brutal stuff that hits you like a ton of bricks! Musicwise, think of MANILLA ROAD, LORD WEIRD SLOUGH FEG, early ADRAMELCH even, with Lemmy from MOTORHEAD on vocals. VARVAR (originally named VARVARIY - "The Barbarians") was founded back in 1986 on the ashes of hard-rock band Pyramida, in a small town in the western part of Russia, called Velikie Luki. A lot of local musicians went through the band, with the two stable core members being vocalist Anatoliy "Zvonar" Stepanov and guitarist Alexander Efimov. The band managed to record a handful of demos and played some local shows and festivals, until disbanding in 1990, with the members going on their separate ways, playing in various side projects. The band managed to get back together in 1993 and finally record a debut album at Yuri Morozov Studio in Saint Petersbourg (aka Melodia Records studio). The album was released on LP format in 1994. This was the very last release on the legendary Soviet label Melodia Records, receiving very limited pressing and distribution, making it impossible to find even in Russia. A true Holy Grail album of Russian metal among arcane vinyl metal collectors. At last, with an album under their belt, the band was on the verge of breaking through, securing an opening slot for ARIA on an extensive tour throughout Russia and abroad. Unfortunately, that was canceled after Aria's manager died under suspicious circumstances. This was the last nail in VARVAR's coffin, and the band was no more.
