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NUTCRACKER IN FURY

Aviva (Aviva Omnibus)

Symphonic Prog


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Aviva (Aviva Omnibus) Nutcracker In Fury album cover
3.57 | 21 ratings | 4 reviews | 5% 5 stars

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Studio Album, released in 2008

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Sisoehtopa (0:52)
2. Overture in Fury (5:07)
3. Heavy March (6:58)
4. Children of the Damned (4:29)
5. The Frozen Doll's Town (6:34)
6. Dance of the Tea Giants (4:55)
7. Flower Fever (2:28)
8. Coda Cold (6:01)
9. Apotheosis (2:54)

Total Time 41:18

Line-up / Musicians

- Dimitri A. Loukianenko / keyboards, vocals (4), composer, arranger & producer

With:
- Yurij Molodoy / guitar
- Andrew Pruden / guitar (6)
- Vika / keyboards, violin (2,3)
- Mamina / drums, bass
- Luba Filatova / voice
- Lilia Lukianenko / voice (9)

Releases information

Artwork: Oleg Petrunichev

CD Musea ‎- FGBG 4768.AR (2008, France)

Digital album

Thanks to Ivan_Melgar_M for the addition
and to projeKct for the last updates
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AVIVA (AVIVA OMNIBUS) Nutcracker In Fury ratings distribution


3.57
(21 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(5%)
5%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(38%)
38%
Good, but non-essential (48%)
48%
Collectors/fans only (5%)
5%
Poor. Only for completionists (5%)
5%

AVIVA (AVIVA OMNIBUS) Nutcracker In Fury reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Ivan_Melgar_M
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Since I listened the AVIVA debut called "Rokus Tonalis", was expecting a second album that could ratify the quality of the band, or better said Dmitry Loukianenko, who except for an uncredited guitarist played all the instruments

Last week I found he had released "Nutcracker in Fury" so, bought the album and was impressed by the radical changes, in first place, the band's name is changed to AVIVA OMNIBUS, he's supported by Yurij Molodoy and Andrew Pruden in the guitars, Mamina on he bass and drums plus Vika who plays a second keyboard and violin.

But more important, his time Loukianenko forgets all the Emerson influences and presents a much more radical album which combines not only the well known Symphonic component,. but also a strong Heavy Prog element, Fusion and even traces of Avant.

But lets go directly to the album, which is opened with a weird introduction called "Sisoehtopa" that after 58 seconds of strange sounds leads to the surprising "Overture in Fury", that makes honor to it's name, because hardly anybody has reinterpreted TCHAIKOVSKY with such rage. The track starts very close to Heavy Metal and Avant, strong vibrant and full of dissonances that remind me clearly of FANTOMAS, the elaborate violin performance adds complexity to an already complex song, what a change from the formal Symphonic debut.

"Heavy March" is the strangest version of "Nutrocker" I have ever heard, being that from the well known chorus they jump to different conclusions as if selected randomly (well only the effect, because nothing is left to luck in the album), really spectacular, specially for the keyboard work.

"Children of the Damned" has more than evident Electronic touches, not really my cup of tea, but being as impartial as possible nobody can't deny the excellent arrangements done by Loukianenko. The vocals are pretty decent and sound well despite the distortion and..........some growls!!!!!

"The Frozen Doll's Town" starts as I expected all the album to sound, with a sober piano introduction that grows in intensity as more instruments keep joining, some sound effects add a bit of mystery and the usual dissonances collaborate with the complexity required not to break the atmosphere. Around the middle again AVIVA OMNIBUS gets closer to Prog Metal but jumps again into Electronic passages, seems Loukianenko and his band are trying experimenting, another good track.

"Dance of the Tea Giants" is even more contradictory, but by this point nothing surprises me anymore and this is good when you talk about a Prog album, the capacity to present something radically new is one of the bases of Prog, and this guys are able to do it perfectly.

The only thing missing is an acoustic track, and "Flower Fewer", provides it, most surely the strangest version of the "Waltz of the Flowers" I ever heard, with sound effects, shouts, conversations, but the soft atmosphere is respected despite all the strange things that happen in the background, breaks all my schemes, but that's also good.

"Coda Coda" is more Jazzy (Is there anything this guys don't include in this album?) and flows perfectly from start to end....well almost perfectly, because some radical changes and changes of style are really mind breaking.

When I read the name "Apotheosis", I expected a strong and vibrant closer, but no, this is the most calmed and softest track in the album...well at least until the band prepares the "grand finale" which makes honor to the name.

If I dared to say this an absolutely original album, many people would jump to the roof and ask how in hell can a new version of ·Nutcracker" could be original...Well, I suggest this people to listen i"Nutcracker in Fury", I'm sure they will be surprised, being that this album is absolutely different to anything you could expect. Something more dramatic if you heard the sober and formal debut, probably one of the most radical changes a band has tried from a debut to the second album.

Three stars for the music and one extra star for the unique sound and capacity to blend genres makes four solid stars.

Review by Marty McFly
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Psychedelic take on classical Cajkovskij opera (or ballet by Tchaikovsky if you please), "Sisoethepa" is, by my opinion, quite strange intro. Sets the mood for entire album, indeed, but could be better. From this album, I expected rock approach to classical music, something more like metal perhaps, but result sometimes don't please me much.

"Overture in Fury" is well played (for a classical-rock song). Maybe too much of electronic sounds, but I can get over it (first seconds for example), but I understand that it can be for better psychedelic atmosphere. "Heavy March" is also without bigger flaws, but it's quite sad for me, because I would rather see something less artificial, this kind of modern synths using, but something so big like this project doesn't exist. It's just 70s prog lover in me who wants it back. After these two tracks, main theme ends and gets here less known ones.

"Children of the Damned" starts as groovy track, in slow rhythm, with 3:07-3:27 done on modified voice and clear to see use of samples. This reminds me that this record is little bit oversampled, but as I said for many times, in the end it doesn't matter too much. "The Frozen Dolls Town" shots (amongst other things), at 3:42-3:58 beautiful example of synth strings. These high tones are well performed. But when I hear name "Dance of Tea Giants", I imagine something different, much softer and weaker (like tea) than this fury (fury as name of the album, of giants (as the name of the song). Are these sounds in the middle monkey screams ? Or is someone from band so creative that he done it himself ? Applaud, very playful song. Even in Porcupine Tree style, sometimes heavy, sometimes psychedelic, sometimes tender.

"Flower Fever" melody was my favourite as classical "Waltz of the Flowers", now it's remade into combination of electronic themed song, some parts sounds like they're combined with sounds of the tavern and then, something, are these strings ? Well, more like synths, but it sounds so faithful reproduction. "Coda Cold" leaves synths almost completely and enters more rockingly sounding music, which I welcome. In last third it again returns to take its toll. "Apotheosis" is something of calm outro, where we can think about wonderful musical (box) show we just heard.

4(+) stars for crazy (furious) Nutcracker.

Latest members reviews

4 stars In 2007 the progrock world was pleasantly surprised with the instrumental debut album Rokus Tonalis by the Russian musical project Aviva, led by Russian keyboard player Dimitri A. Loukanienko who played Grand piano, keyboards, bass, samples and programmed drums and percussion. The music on Rokus ... (read more)

Report this review (#1914942) | Posted by TenYearsAfter | Monday, April 16, 2018 | Review Permanlink

4 stars I have gotten a huge dosage of scepticism towards Russian symph prog projects. Most of them, if not all of them, contains one nutty professor on tangents which creates symphonic music based on old classics. Sooner or later.....make that sooner, one of these nutty professors is going to blow this ... (read more)

Report this review (#499689) | Posted by toroddfuglesteg | Monday, August 8, 2011 | Review Permanlink

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