Valery Kipelov

Infobox musical artist
Name = Валерий Кипелов


Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Валерий Александрович Кипелов
Born = Birth date and age|1958|7|12|mf=y
Moscow, USSR
Died =
Occupation = Musician
Genre = Heavy metal, Hard rock
Instrument = Vocals, accordion
Years_active = 1980 – present
Label =
Associated_acts = Aria, Kipelov

Valery Alexandrovich Kipelov (Валерий Александрович Кипелов (born July 12, 1958), is a Russian music artist and composer, famous for being the vocalist of famous heavy metal band Aria. Since 2002, Valery leads his own Heavy metal band Kipelov.

Early biography

Valery Kipelov was born in 1958 at Kapotnya, Moscow, USSR. During his childhood, he studied at music school as an accordionist. His first step in music was singing in the amateur band 'Krestyanskie Deti' (Farmer Children), which played at parties and weddings. After military service in 1978-1980 Valery joined the folk ensemble 'Shestero Molodykh' (Six Young Men), where he met Nikolay Rastorguev (his friend, who later to form 'LUBE'). In september 1980 Kipelov and Rastorguev continued their career in 'Leysa, Pyesnya' (Go on, Song). But in 1985 'Leysa, Pesnia' was officially closed due to failing to complete the planned program, and Valery came to 'Poyushchie Serdtsa' (Singing Hearts), produced by Victor Vekshtein. When Kholstinin and Granovsky, members of 'Poyushchie Serdtsa', decided to start their heavy metal project, Valery was invited to be its vocalist.

Years in Aria

Voice of Kipelov was one of the major reasons of band's success, though in first two albums he wrote just two songs (both slow ballads). After the breakup in 1987, Kipelov and Holstinin was only two members who stood with Vekshtein. Sergey Mavrin was invited into the new lineup to play guitar and Vitaly Dubinin joined on bass.

During the Germany tour 1994, Kipelov's relations with Holstinin and Dubinin became tense. He ceased appearing at Aria's studio and was fired from the band. Then Mavrin refused to play without Kipelov and left the band too. After participating in a few of Master's concerts, Valery tried to form his own band, but later returned to Aria following the threat from MOROZ Records to sue the band for breach of contract.

Sergey Mavrin offered Kipelov to record together the combined album, which might include their songs, refused by Aria or not fit for its style. In 1997 they released the LP entitled 'Kipelov and Mavrin - Smutnoye Vremia' (Time of Troubles), which included 10 tracks. This album helped Mavrin to launch next year his project 'Mavrik' with vocalist Artur Berkut.

In 2002, after the successful release of 'Himera' followed by sold-out tours and headlining the NASHEstvie festival, Kipelov refused starting to record the new album, already written by Dubinin and Holstinin. He stated his wish to start solo career. Two of his Aria bandmates Sergey Terentyev, Alexander Maniakin and band's manager Rina Lee supported him, opposing the band leaders Vitaly Dubinin and Vladimir Holstinin, as well as the producer Yuri Sokolov. This disagreement has broken Aria and divided it after 'Judgement Day', August 31, 2002.

Kipelov the band

Next day, September 1, Kipelov, Terentyev, Mavrin and Maniakin launched the new band, entitled in name of Kipelov (named at Terentyev's suggestion as the bandmembers couldn't come up with any better name). In 2003 they released live album 'Put Naverh' (Way to the Top), recorded in Saint Petersburg. It contained Aria's songs by Kipelov, Terentyev and Mavrin as well as 'Smutnoye Vremia' songs. Ballad 'Ya Svoboden' (I am Free) became the top hit in russian rock charts. The 'golden' voice of Kipelov enticed many Aria fans to his new project.Terentyev, and later Mavrin left Kipelov in next two years, explaining that the band was too slow in releasing the new album. Since 2002 to 2005 the only new release was 'Babylon' EP. To record his new album, Valery invited famous Victor Smolski. Kipelov's first (and to date, the only) LP 'Reki Vremen' (Rivers of Time) came out in 2005.