By Bill Samaras

 

Expect the unexpected, say Volnaya Staya…they are gearing up for new surprises in 2014 with a new album and plenty of shows to follow.  More so, you will be surprised when you hear the ferocious roar of heavy metal music come from the five women who make up the band.  As the only all-female rock band in the Russian Federation, Volnaya Staya is on a mission to deliver rock and roll hard and heavy as one would expect from their male counterparts. 

 

The band includes Ksenia on lead vocals, Natalia Terekhova on guitar, Marina Mokretsova on guitar, Marina Malakhova on bass, and Svetlana Molchanova on drums.  They were formed in 2007 when Alexey Strike, a male musician and producer wanted an outlet for his music and thought that putting together a band of talented and beautiful musicians would deliver his ideas to the stage.  The fact that there are no other all-female bands playing heavy metal or rock would make them stand out in the music world.  The ladies have taken his music and delivered with intensity and substance. 

 

They have gone on to do tours, play festivals, and record an album.  In February they will play at Olimpiyskiy” stadium.

 

Volnaya Staya means free flight…which is a great description for the band, said Svetlana Molchanova. “Freedom in life features for all of us, hence, the name is correlated.”

 

When Strike recruited the women for the band he only choose musicians who had professional experience to perform music with high quality and a solid sound.  As for being in an all-female band Malakhova says “The first years, when we just started, we’ve had a good laugh when we read everywhere that we are the lovers of some oligarchs, that we play by the phonogram – people for some reason couldn’t believe that girls can play hard rock live, although personally for me it’s incomprehensible – what’s supernatural in this?” Mokretsova continued, “It’s great to play in female band – there is more mutual understanding in my opinion. In addition the specificity of female band as such attracts more audience, because this occurrence is not prevalent in our musical segment.” Molchanova added, “To be the member of “Volnaya Staya” band is very great and agreeably. As line-up is female, you don’t feel a discomfort, everybody understand and support you.”

 

As the ladies themselves want to say to the rest of the world and the readers in the United States about their music—“That our women not only can “stop a galloping horse and come into the burning izba”*, but they also can be a womanly beautiful rockers!” says Terekhova.

*(lyrics from the poem “Pleasant children” of Russian poet Nikolay Nekrasov (1821 – 1877))

Mokretsova said to expect real Russian rollicking fervor!”

 

Volnaya Staya are continuing to make a name for themselves and have what it takes to create world wide success.  One might look to bands like Vixen or Phantom Blue with a powerful rock sound that is tight and polished as a comparison.  They also sing their music in English so US listeners can tune in and understand the lyrics. 

 

Be sure to check out the music of Volnaya Staya and add your support to these ladies who defy the odds in a country where hard rock female bands are practically non-existent.  If you are into rock and metal then you had better tune into Volnaya Staya!