Alisa (Russian band)

Did You Know?

• Kinchev was baptized in 1992 after a series of concerts in Jerusalem.
• Early Alisa lyrics focused on social protest and rock 'n' roll hype.
• Kinchev's conservative religious-patriotic shift was viewed unfavorably by some old fans.

History

Alisa was formed in November 1983 by bassist Svyatoslav Zadery, whose nickname gave the band its name. The lineup was completed in 1984 when vocalist Kostya Kinchev (real name Konstantin Panfilov) and guitarist Petr Samoylov joined. Their debut album Energia was recorded between 1985 and 1986 and released by the state monopoly Melodiya in 1988. Relations between leaders Kinchev and Zadery deteriorated, and Zadery left the band one hour before a concert; Kino bassist Igor Tihomirov replaced him for that show. Zadery later formed his own band Nateh! and died on 6 May 2011 from stroke complications at age 50. Alisa's fan community, the Army of Alisa, was known for rough behavior at concerts, leading to animosity with Soviet officials. In 1987 the newspaper Smena accused Kinchev of Nazi propaganda and Hitler worship; Kinchev sued for calumny and moral damages. Guitarist Igor "Chuma" Chumychkin joined in 1988, contributing to the heavier sound of the next two albums, Shabash and For those Who Fell From the Moon. Alisa toured Europe and Israel with fellow Russian heavy metal band Aria. The 1994 album Black Mark was dedicated to Chuma, who died by suicide after jumping from a window. In the new millennium, albums such as Seychas Pozdnee Chem Ty Dumaesh (2003) and Izgoy (2005) saw the band's sound become heavier. Alisa ranked among the top ten most popular Russian rock bands in a 2005 Romir survey and first in a 2004 Komsomolskaya Pravda readers' poll of the most influential Russian rock groups.