Music Style Heavy-power metal

Musical Influences Judas Preist, Manowar, early Helloween

Artist History History Of The Arrow The Arrow (previously known as Black Arrow) was founded 24th of October of 1994 by Pavel Blischenko in Moscow. Well, as you know every band need a rehearsal room to prepare the material for concerts and studio but in Moscow in the middle of 90's as well as now was very hard to find even a small matchbox for rehearsals free of charge for a young band. As a result of a titanic attempts a small room was found in one of the numerous Moscow secondary schools. Two months later after by notice in the local newspaper Pavel met Sergey Kniazev, who became the first guitarist of the band. They began to prepare the material for the 1'st live program. Guys worked hard at their sound and soon they had a result: brutal thrash riff-guitars, lyric and bright solos, attacking keys and certainly that dynamic power, which picked out the band from their rivals. At the end of march 1995, Pavel and Co got aquatinted with Jury Pashkovski. He was eager to be with the band but as he failed to become the vocalist, so he was approved as band's manager. He helped to find Valentin Dobrovolsky ("Embycile", Val), the man for whom the pair of Vic Firth's and double-bass kick were more than only musical instrument. He became the drummer of Black Arrow. In such conditions Black Arrow got a possibility to play their material in as a trio. But, just right at that time the group was kicked out from their rehearsal room by reason of negative attitude of the local administration to Power Metal and Metal at all. From the 10th of June to the 20th of July the group moved to another school but in case of the Buddenovsk events and war at the Northern Caucasus, all the rehearsal rooms which were situated in schools, colleges and other similar state offices were closed. On the 12th of July 1995, the birthday of V. Kipelov one of greatest musicians of the Russian Metal was celebrated at Manhatten-Express club. There came the whole Moscow metal society. At that holiday Pavel met his old friend Roman Pulin, his ex-colleague by their previous band Lady Prowler. Roman helped to find his school-friend Dmitry Mertzalov phone number. Dmitry became the band's bass-player. All these events coincided with the period of total removals from one rehearsal place to another. In particular there was a place which was situated near Paveletzkaya metro-station. There guys found the cheapest rehearsal time from 8 to 12 a.m. For separate members of the band there were a very hard time because they had to get up at 5.30 a.m. every day. Inspite of the great mount of various difficulties Black Arrow finally finished their first program "Flyin' high live" which included 5 songs.. They were: "Children of Gods", "Mystery", "Saver", "Never Return" and "Fire Of The Pride". At the Gorbushka's concert in the middle of February 1996 Pavel met his old collegues: Max Babayev, Michael ("the Soldier") Chistiakov and Alexey ("Uncle Lesha") Boudanov. At that time they worked together at Cultural Center named by 40th anniversary of October Revolution at their own sound-design company. "The Soldier" suggested his help that the group should move to their comfortable rehearsal place and the band changed their "home" one more time. It was just to the point because "Paveletzkaya" was closed at that moment for reconstruction. The next step was invitation Andrey ("the Axe") Khramov the best vocal in Serpukhov-town and objectively one of the best among all singers at the modern Russian heavy-metal scene as vocalist. Finally collective stabilized. On the 26th of October 1996 Alexey Arzamasov (Shadow Host) phoned Pavel and suggested to play concert together. The 2nd of November the year 1996 became the beginning of the new Metal Epoch. At - 2 - that day at Moscow R-club took place Kings of Metal Party. It was the great holiday to the band. Their first performance had a great success. R-club was full of people as at it's good times! It was marvelous! Squall of real bright power-metal which contained elements of thrash-metal with lyric solos and bright melodic decisions. This gig visited also the chief-editor of the "ALIVE" fan-zine Eugene "Black Jack" Galunin and Fido-net user Alex Tolkach, who became the chairman of the fan-club of the group. That concert made a huge resonance in Moscow rock-press and Fido-net. After the first victory the band began to prepare the next concert set, enlarge program, work at elements of the show, sound. The apogee of all the efforts was CDM fest "Magical Mistical Winter" which became one of the most remembered events in Russian Metal Music for the last 5 years. More than 1.200 metal fans visited that performance. That festival was organized by Jaroslave one of the Moscow doom-metal scene "Godfathers". By that reason there were a lot of fans of various metal styles but the band's fans predominated among the others. That event also had web information technologies support, because of it the first fan-club of the band was organized in Fido-net and contained more than 450 members. The concert passed more than successfully. The fans waved by their handmade banner with the group's logo shouted and yelled "Bla-ck Ar-row" called their Metal Gods. That was the great night. "Mystery" and "Children of Gods" - the very first hits of the band blasted and blew up the air. The club administration was very much frightened by such a huge and exited crowd and they decided to cut of the power supply right in the middle of the band's performance. Under the magic sound of Valentine Dobrovolski's drum solo the band sound engineer started to repair the apparatus and 40 minutes later Black Arrow managed to finish the show. The 18th of February 1997 became the point of countdown. On the top of it's first success the band inside was full of various contradictions and as the result there was total fiasko at the Death-Rider festival's gig which coused the beginning of the breakdown of that collective. Two members of the band left at once. They were: the front-man Andrey Khramov and the founder and the leader of the Black Arrow Pavel Blishenko. Some time later Valentine Dobrovolsky also leaves the collective. As for Sergey Kniazev and Dmitriy Mertzalov they completely stopped their musical activity half year later. Here takes place a new step of band's development. We'll look through a 4 year period. The creator and the leader of the band Pavel Blischenko saw the reason of Black Arrow 1st collective breakdown in "absence of future" as well as condition loss for further musical and business activity. At that moment he found out: GREAT NAME AND BIG FUTURE NEEDS ITS OWN RECORDIG STUDIO FOR ENTERING THE CAST OF WORLD'S BEST BANDS. At first small house was bought and great repairing works were made. After that the necessary studio equipment had been also acquired. Great changes took place in the band: 2 people from the 1st crew Alexey Boudanov and Andrey Khramov decide to continue working with Pavel. The other 3 were changed.In the period of 08.98 - 09.99 different musicians tried to join the band. But all of them failed at last. The 1st of those 3 became new gitarist A. Sedletsky. He joined the band in 11.98. In 1999 "BLACK CAT RECORDS" studio creation was complete to give the group being able make its own sound and style. 16.10.99 it came the time for the very 1st track of the new official studio album "C h i l d r e n O f G o d s" recorded. - 3 - Almost the whole year the group spent their time recording "C h i l d r e n O f G o d s". The end of the year was signed by another significant event: Black Arrow changed its name... Indeed in 1995 when Black Arrow (The Arrow) was only a trio there came a question to give it a final name and reserve all rights on it. It's going to be said that there aren't much Russian collectives who can boast of their own registered trade mark (obviously it comes from plenty of other problems). Huge list of various names was proposed where Black Arrow suggested by Pavel Blishenko subsequently approoved. But as there wasn't easy to practically register any trade mark Sergey Kniazev who assured other members he knows this question very well was charged to solve the problem. That moment Sergey -student was being eployeed to his brother company "Innotek" which professional domain was trade mark and different logos registration had more then all necessary possibilities. Isn't it silly to look for another ways when your collegue offers you to solve the problem. The decision was ecstasily accepted and registration process was started. Of couse Sergey Kniasev and "Innotek" names fugured in all applied documentation. And nobody thought to what it finally led for. In 1997 a breakdown occured. Sergey Kniazev's unadequite behaviour finally led to all band's tour plans canceled. A big conflict rised up that have been continue in finding out personal plans concerning their common musical future of the band. There faced Pavel's plans to have its own professional recording studio which could provide convinient and artfull working process. In turn Kniasev lived under "Star Desease" influence and didn't have any certain ideas. Unhaving a minute and desire to continue with useless "discussuion" Pavel began to build a studio. Some time later he recognised that "...such keyboardist as Pavel and such singer as Andrey Khramov are both out of band's interest..." as Sergey used to say. The whole Black Arrow vioce incarnated by Sergey Kniazev and Dmitriy Mertsalov. Pavel's musicial and composer abilities weren't taken into account at all for that moment Sergey has already taken for his own "Children of Gods" and "Mistery" authority - the songs which were written by Pavel Blischenko 1989. Kniazev has already experinced in such kind of practice. Earlie he became an author of "Welome to fire" - the song which was written by Andrey Archont. Fortunately for the well-known Moscow band Archontes it wasn't hard to fix an advanture bocause of lots of witnesses who ridiculed Kniazev's authority. When got rid off chief and feeling compleate impunity Sergey rearranged his plans about bands studio recording. To that moment the drummer Valentine Dobrovolsky has left so with computer-made drums he headed into one of the cheapest Moscow sound recording studio to make demo tape which would include four songs with two misappropriated between them. Keyboards were computer made too but inspite of all his statements he had to invite Andrey Khramov on vocal. From the four scheduled song only two have been recorded. Obvious sypthoms of "Star Desease" finally appeared so it became harder and harder to talk the same tong with the others. Ultimately the band was pulled off the studio having its demo unfinished because of Kniazev's problems with sound producer. Officially the group was continuing with its existance. In fact there were only two man left: Sergey Kniazev guitar and Dmitriy Mertzalov bass. In a half a year they both stopped any musicial activity. In 2000 Pavel Blishenko has carried on negotiations with Valiant Music Productions company about group's new album "Children of Gods" to be released. To that moment an album was in recording stage on just built Black Cat Records. There wasn't any doubts about bands name. Black Arrow. All the reasons are described above. As unexpected event became Sergey Kniazev's visit to "Valiant Music Production" company manager. The letter was placed from Dmitriy Kniazev co-founder of "Innotek" company with proofs of Sergey Kniazev's copyrights to name Black Arrow. That meant full realise withdraw from sale by trial verdict in case of album appear under Black Arrow name. During privat meeting Sergey declared valid Pavel's moral rights to name Black Arrow mensioned that anyway all copyrights are in his own of what he took care in 1995. At the same time was announced the - 4 - song "Children of Gods" will be performed as his in case of continuing of Sergey's musicial activity. But nobody to discuss it with him by the reason of absolute inexpediency discussing such a theme. Thus Pavel had to change bands name. But as the word Arrow is hard to be replaced (undesirable to refuse from) the compromise was found. New name - The Arrow was confirmed by the whole band's decision. At the beginning of 2001 The Arrow continies recording "Children of Gods". At the same time "Valiant Music Production" offers to take part in tribute to Helloween compilation. The Arrow among the others maintained the initiative of "Valiant Music Production" chief so in February the band starts recording of "RIDE THE SKY"....Same time later it becomes known of forthcoming "Tribute to Aria" compilation organised by Agen Price. In co-operation with Roza Vetrov in March The Arrow records the song "Day Ruku Mne" for "Tribute to Aria". During those two sessions the work under "Children of Gods" doesn't stop and it finished on 16 of April 2001. This time The Arrow is: A. Khramov - vocals P. Blischenko - keyboards A. Sedletsky - guitar J. Bobyrev - bass-guitar A. Bykov - drums G. Lapenko - sound-engineering and all sound related works D. Volgin - computer technologies support The Arrow's style now is melodic heavy-power metal with heaviest trash sound. But the main idea in music is classic heavy. In our mega-style time with its own various ideas the slogan of the group is: "…Devils never die and still we go, Onlooking back impossible to stop…", Taken from the song Z-13.9 from the newest, coming soon, single, sounds hard and non-compromising, but only following this way , real and courageous true metal will exist forever, helping thousands of fans to live and give them power to fight for more and more…

Group Members Andrey Khramov - vocals Pavel Blischenko - keyboards Andrey Sedletsky - all guitars Jury Bobyrev - bass Alexey Bykov - drums

Instruments vocals, keyboards,guitar, bass, drums

Albums Children of Gods

Press Reviews Dark City, Alive,In Rock,Painkiller... etc.

Location Moscow, Strogino - Russia

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