Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Cherkezi United
Label: Self-released
Released: 2012
Runtime: 42:11
Rating: 4/5
Alexandr Paschenko, Sale to his friends, a man who headed to neighboring Croatia in search of a better tomorrow, brought with him a collection of children’s songs sung by generations of Russian youth born in the days of the late USSR. Alexandr quickly won over his friends, who decided to merge punk melody with Russian tunes. That’s how Cherkezi United were born, named after the warlike Circassians, horsemen from the Caucasus. The band put out their debut »Kuda Poshol« in 2007.
It took the guys five years to come up with a follow-up, and they fittingly named the album »Petoljetka«. The cover alone tells you these guys like to reach for the vodka when they’re hunting for musical inspiration. Punk rock kazachok, exactly that. Picture traditional Russian folk melodies shaking hands with the framework of punk rock. This time around Croatian takes center stage in the lyrics. The band says they made that call to get even closer to listeners in Croatia. Only one track is sung in Russian, but no worries. Thanks to the close linguistic ties, Croatian keeps the expressive, passionate power of the tunes intact. Most of the tunes and melodies the band works into their punk rock framework were written by Russian composers; Vladimir Shainsky is one of them.
Even though the vocals sit right in the middle of the songs’ structure, what grabs most of the attention are the typical tunes and rhythms of the Russian folk school, and above all Paschenko’s guitar playing, at times lightning fast, which doesn’t hold back in its traditionally inherited kazachok solos. Of course the band also adds accordion, cello and brass (trumpet) to the mix, creating a proper dynamic of bouncy, up-tempo music that rolls between distorted, raging rock passages and calmer but no less passionate moments. And of course it’s not hard to catch a whiff of booze in any of the tunes, spreading unchecked from the record. One of the tracks is even dedicated to that aroma (Rakija, with a ska/polka rhythm).
A full measure of fun is guaranteed for anyone who gets fired up by bands like Viza, Russkaja, Gogol Bordello and the like. A full measure of wit and sarcasm, too. Rustic scenes of the rural Far East, the Siberian and Ural expanses, spring to life in an instant. An album of simple, punchy impact, driven by the passionate delivery of tried-and-tested, fiery Russian tunes, nicely worked into a modern punk rock frame that opens the doors of relevance to Cherkezi United and gives them a shot at breaking through on the international scene too. »Petoljetka« is bouncy, passionate and ridiculously fun. And all that energy hits the listener even harder than it does on record when the band lays down their kazachok on just about any concert stage.
Lineup
Goran Rajić – Rajko – vocals, tambourine
Nino Šarić – drums
Bruno Gavran – bass guitar
Davor Novosel – Dabbah – guitar
Alexandr Paschenko – guitar
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Bogumil Kulaga – Turel – trumpet
Marijan Šarić – accordion
Stanislav Kovačić – cello
Ivan Božanić – guitar
Franjo opat – Nono – backing vocals
Hrvoje Leskovčuk – Lesi – backing vocals
Vladimir Šagadin – backing vocals
Andrej Andrlić – backing vocals
Ivan Boanič – backing vocals
Production
Ivan Božanič
Tracklist
1. Intro
2. Manifest
3. Dan po dan
4. Miss Vladivostoka
5. Rakija
6. Smugljanka
7. Maria G. Nikiforova
8. Chunga Changa
9. Basna o vrani
10. Temnaya noch
