Russian `Paradise` — Pasadena Weekly

Russian `Paradise`

Mumiy Troll brings ▒rockapops` to Spaceland

WHILE ROCK MUSIC IS OBVIOUSLY POPULAR IN RUSSIA, YOU DON`T SEE THAT many Russian bands playing stateside. Sunday night at Spaceland, you can get a glimpse of what the country has to offer when Mumiy Troll plays a set in support of its latest disc, “Paradise Ahead,■ the group`s English-language debut album.

The Vladivostok-based band plays what it calls “rockapops,■ a blend of pop rock and edgy, guitar-based, post-punk sounds. These genre-blenders have been compared favorably to such diverse acts as U2, David Bowie, Pearl Jam and Bauhaus. There`s something there for just about everyone to like.

Mumiy Troll literally means “the mummy`s troll,■ a pun on “Moomin Troll,■ a series of children`s books by Tove Jansson. The band formed in 1983, but broke up when founder, vocalist and songwriter Ilia Lagutenko left to serve in the Soviet military. He came back a few years later and the band released its first album in 1997. Since then, they`ve become one of Russia`s most popular bands, releasing eight studio albums, and have proved a hit in Japan, China and Europe.

John Sollenberger