Soviet Heavy Metal Rockers Take Their Act to Spain

Back in the U.S.S.R., the five young Moscow rockers who make up Black Coffee rank as the nation’s premier heavy metal heroes, boasting the country’s two best-selling rock records.

But if a recent concert in Madrid--their first in the West--is any indication, their Western counterparts need not worry about developing strategic defenses.

The group, led by energetic front man and singer Dmitri Varshavsky, 24, managed to attract an audience of 2,000 in the large open-air stadium where they played a deafening hourlong set. Their soundman had asked Spanish officials for political asylum earlier in the day.

The rock critic of the daily Diario 16 condescendingly described their music as “orthodox.”

In concert, however, the group generated sparks from die-hard, leather-garbed rock fans, mainly through Varshavsky’s irrepressible screams and growls, reminiscent of Ozzy Osborne or the Australian heavy metal group AC/DC, and the inspired pounding of drummer Sergei Chernyakov, 29.

In the Soviet Union, the group is responsible for the two top-selling rock recordings: the album “Over the Threshold” and the four-song disc “Black Coffee,” both recorded last year, group manager Ovanes Melik-Pashaev said in an interview.

After the Spanish gig, he said, Black Coffee has set its sights on other countries, especially the United States, and is rehearsing songs in English to record and perform in the West.

Melik-Pashaev said he is talking with a Dallas promoter called Sovitex Inc. to arrange a U.S. tour this summer to include stops in Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco and perhaps Chicago and Washington.

Despite his preconcert claims that Black Coffee plays “melodic hard-rock with touches of heavy metal thrown in,” on stage the group’s grinding, ear-splitting, double-lead guitar attack sounded similar to aggressive Western bands such as Def Leppard.

But unlike Western bands that spout tough lyrics and glamorize violent attitudes, Black Coffee promotes “peace, friendship and happiness,” singer Varshavsky said through an interpreter.

“Our songs are very optimistic. They speak of the struggle between good and evil, with good triumphing over bad,” he said.

Melik-Pashaev said there was no censorship of lyrics but added the group doesn’t like to use offensive words “or the language of criminals.”

Varshavsky said the group has not been influenced by any particular Western band but expressed admiration for Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Whitesnake.

Melik-Pashaev described the group’s repertoire as “rock for peace” that stays clear of political references.

“But rock is a social phenomenon, so in an indirect way the group can’t help but be political,” the manager said.

The high point of the concert came during the obligatory drum solo, which went on for six minutes and stirred the crowd to chant in unison.

Other members of the group are Sergui Kudishin, 29, lead guitar; Igor Kupriyanov, 24, bass guitar; and Igor Andreev, 23, rhythm guitar.

The group was formed in December, 1986. Since then, it has gone from playing clubs in Moscow to recording for the state-run Melodiya label, touring the Soviet Union and frequent appearances on the Soviet television youth shows “The Look “ and “Tomorrow’s Mail.”

The group appeared in Madrid at the invitation of the municipal government which promoted the concert as part of the city’s annual festival in honor of St. Isidro the Laborer, the city’s patron saint.

Madrid police said 38-year-old soundman Samouil Savitsky’s request for political asylum had been granted on a provisional basis. Speaking through the interpreter, members of the group said they didn’t understand his action but did not elaborate.

J. Perez de Albeniz, rock critic for Spain’s leading daily, the left-of-center El Pais, had nothing but harsh words for Melik-Peshaev, saying he didn’t let the musicians speak freely to reporters. The critic wrote that the manager “was a master of the art of talking without saying anything.”

Melik-Pashaev, a serious, black-bearded 38-year-old, said the group’s success was due as much to the policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (economic restructuring) championed by Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev, as to its music.

He said that about 5,000 rock groups had emerged in the Soviet Union in the past two years, and Melodiya is doing more rock recording and giving the Soviet rockers a greater opportunity to obtain instruments, especially highly coveted Fender and Gibson guitars.

Some of the American instruments cost $2,000, he said, but cheaper copies have become easier to acquire at secondhand music shops.

The group’s stage show is austere by Western standards. Bassist Kupriyanov, by far the fanciest dresser, showed off his black Michael Jackson-like military jacket embroidered in gold and swung the gold epaulets from side to side while running to-and-fro on stage.