Band:	Aria
Album:	Герой Асфальта
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	1987

01. На Службе Силы Зла
02. Герой Асфальта
03. Мёртвая Зона
04. 1100
05. Улица Роз
06. Баллада О Древнерусском Воине

Many Westerners refer to Aria as "the Russian Iron Maiden" - either in honor of their patriarchal relationship to the Russian metal scene, or as a derisive commentary on their stylistic similarities. While the Maiden influence cannot be discounted, this latter usage unfairly marginalizes one of the brightest stars in the entire Eastern European metal scene. Aria have demonstrated countless times their songwriting prowess and accomplished musicianship, but perhaps no album better represents this pillar of Iron Curtain metal than 1987's Герой Асфальта.

Герой Асфальта introduced to Aria drummer Maxim Udalov and guitarist Sergei Mavrin, who would go on to become a powerhouse in his own right, but most important was the addition of bassist Vitaly Dubinin. Alik Granovsky had left some big shoes to fill, especially after his technical and astute performance on С Кем Ты?, but Dubinin proved more than capable of taking over the role, and has remained a core member of Aria ever since. With the line-up rounded out by golden-voiced Valery Kipelov and guitar maestro Vladimir Holstinin, Aria's stalwart roster had the power and talent to unleash their masterpiece.

As the operatic intro fades out to the sounds of an air raid, "На Службе Силы Зла" pounces and properly opens the album with a punishing, driving riff that soon explodes into a festival of pummeling alacrity and melody. Whether accelerating through lively battle cries, trudging through mists of off-kilter progressions, or marching along in a lock-step strut, Герой Асфальта relentlessly pursues the ultimate goal of true metal classicism. Aria's impeccable knack for conjuring up bold and fruitful melodies crushes all accusations of plagiarism or repetition as Kipelov's soaring voice takes them to greater and greater heights. Holstinin's and Mavrin's exceptional guitar work drives the album with powerful, complex, and memorable riffs that set them apart as a formidable duo.

"Улица Роз" is one of those adamantly perfect pieces of music that surfaces on very rare occasions; any band that can capture such true sonic wisdom should count itself lucky. From Dubinin's precision bass work to Kipelov's desperate delivery, the song encapsulates the coming together of so many indomitable elements into one glorious work. The whole band locks into a groove that persists until the moribund chimes of "Баллада О Древнерусском Воине" signal the album's final track.

More mature and original than its predecessors, more compact and enrapturing than its successors, Герой Асфальта proved Aria's capabilities with even greater force and passion than anything they had yet released. It still remains their crowning achievement, and a true treasure unfortunately lost to so many because of the language, cultural, and political barriers.