AliA - AliVe

The “hybrid” rock band AliA was formed in 2018, but despite the group's young age, they've rapidly gained popularity. An extensive nationwide tour, millions of views on their official YouTube channel and a world tour - is all of this a clear confirmation of success? Interestingly, AliA managed to achieve basically all of this with just one mini-album, AliVe. Yes, it’s not much, but after one listen there will be no questions left of how exactly the band managed to win the hearts of so many listeners in such a short period of time.

Especially nowadays, when newcomers can easily get lost among the huge number of other rock bands, the only way to get to the top of the scene is to have some cards up your sleeve. AliA definitely have something to grab your attention. Hearing keyboards in rock bands is pretty common these days, but hearing violin along with such dynamic riffs is still fairly rare and special. In RINA's hands, this classical instrument makes the sound of every track on the album more intense and much more colourful. The violin can easily burst between the guitars in the instrumental parts or perform alongside the speedy drums, creating a nice contrast between them. Some of the mini-album's even greater moments are those where RINA gets the lead position, like in Silhouette.

Of course, the violin is not the only trump card this band holds, as AliA got lucky with their vocals too. Some listeners compare AYAME's singing to the always-energetic LiSA, and they are not completely wrong. AYAME is a very charismatic performer, and she has a beautiful, strong voice that truly fits the band’s bright and catchy sound. She is equally good with the slow, heart-piercing tracks like Koe and the adrenaline-infused songs like limit. By the way, it's in the latter track that you’ll hear, perhaps, the most powerful vocals of the whole release.

Moreover, with AliVe, the band didn’t even bother to warm the listeners up or to make an intro to ease them into the release. AliA don’t need one - they instantly create a hurricane of sound with the opening song impulse. The emotions of the track are multiplied by the fast, memorable melody, which easily draws in listeners' attention and leaves them feeling spellbound. Moreover, the musicians are adept at heating the atmosphere up with their performances. Watch them rock out in the MV below: 


The release maintains its intensity to the very end, but it slows down a little during the peaceful and touching Koe and even stumbles for a moment over the a-bit-too-standard Kakurembo> and simple. These two songs are not bad, but they feel relatively plain compared to the other tracks. However, the mini-album does a great job of showing off AliA’s huge potential. The band's music is amazingly energetic, and it can fill you with positive vibes to the point that you start to smile for no reason. Besides, the combination of the members' catchy melodies, RINA's violin and AYAME's bright vocals helps to set AliA apart from other bands. With AliVe, AliA set the bar high right from the start. Only time will tell if they'll be able to continue reaching it in the future.