Interview with Anna KiaRa, ahead of the new European Tour and the release of third upcoming album //All Time Metal\\

Anna KiaRa (ex- Imperial Age) and her band, kicked off their new European Tour "Symphony Of Rage" on May 17th and will conclude on August 22nd at the Over the Wall Festival 2025 in Crete. Their third full-length album "Symphony Of Rage" will be released on June 5th.

On the occasion of the European Tour and the release of the new album, Anna Kiara gave us a full interview.

– Anna, welcome to All Time Metal !

You personally have an important career in the international metal scene, both with the famous band Imperial Age, where for seven years you were one of the two female vocalists, and with the solo project that bears your name. Tell us about this important musical career.

A.K: I'm a professional musician with a full musical education - musical school, college and institute, so I think that I was preparing myself for international recognition from the beginning of my education. I had many performances, competitions, many musical lessons, etc.

The first serious step in my musical career was my first appearance on the Russian TV show New Star in 2015, while I was still studying in the musical college in my hometown Kaluga. I also was playing in the local metal band from 2012 till 2016, before the Imperial Age and my first European tour with them in 2016, and that's how I got experienced in the underground music, being in a band, performing with them, organising shows, etc.

In 2016 I made a video for one of the vocal competitions where I was singing The Show Must Go On by Queen, and Alex from the Imperial Age saw this video and wrote to me with the offer to take part in the hearing for the new singer for the Imperial Age in Moscow. So did I and that's how I got into the Imperial Age.

We had rehearsals once or twice a week, and I was still living 200 km away from Moscow, so every time I was going there and back by train for 3.5 hours each way.

Then I had my first European tour with them as a support act for Orphaned Land. That was an amazing experience for me! I went to Europe for the first time in my life, and I was doing the thing I love the most in my life, so I was really happy about it!

When I returned back to Kaluga, I decided that I had to move to Moscow soon, even if I didn't know how to do it, as I had no relatives there, no place to stay, and the rental prices were really high for yesterday's student. But with some magic I found a place to stay at one of my friends from the institute and moved to Moscow half a year after my first European tour.

There was some free time from the shows for the Imperial Age, so I had to find some job for the beginning, and I did everything - I was selling cosmetics, giving flyers on the street, working at the karaoke, working on the summer English lessons in the parks, etc.

During 2017 I found a job in the musical school, then we recorded "The Legacy Of Atlantis" with the Imperial Age and went on the big tour with Therion in the beginning of 2018. 1.5 months, 50 shows. 30 + countries - that was also a great experience! I got many new contacts and friends from the European musical world.

In 2019 we had our first headliner tour, and after that tour I graduated from the institute and I started to think about my own music as well. I have been playing piano since my childhood, and I composed a few nice melodies there, so I decided to turn them into the full songs and my solo album.

That's how I released my first solo album "Storyteller" in 2020. From the beginning I was thinking about Anna KiaRa as a studio project and not a full band. We gave only one show in Moscow with the Storyteller release, and then one online show when the Covid started, and that's all.

During the Covid time I composed enough material for the second album Archangel which came out in 2022. After the Covid finished we went on tour with Imperial Age again, and I started to think about the shows for Anna KiaRa as well. I got some shows here and there in Russia, but not many, and then I decided to go to Europe with Anna KiaRa as well and to combine my first tour with the Imperial Age tour after that in 2023.

It happened right in time, because it was the last time with the Imperial Age with me, as guys moved to the UK. Since the beginning I was a hired singer, not a full band member, so I knew it'd happen one day, though I can't say it was easy.

I had some very tough time thinking about myself as a solo singer with a band and if I have enough experience, courage and money to do it on my own. I'm still doubting, but since that time I had one European and one UK tour in 2024, and now I'm on my third European tour which is dedicated to the upcoming album "Symphony Of Rage" (release date - June, 5). So it seems that everything is going just fine!

– For 5 years you were in two bands at the same time, yours and Imperial Age, whose demands were increased with continuous concerts and tours, how easy was it for you to manage everything?

A.K: As I mentioned before, I officially started my band in 2019 as a studio project, and before 2023 when I had my first tour and left the Imperial Age it was mostly a studio project with only a few shows in a year. It was not so hard to do both bands, as Imperial Age had tours only about once a year, also we had a few online shows and studio records, but the rest of the time I was dedicated to my band and my vocal students.

– Your discography includes 2 full-length albums, 1 EP and 6 singles. The basis of your music is symphonic, but in each of your releases, i believe there is different type of metal music that dominates, such as the first album "Storyteller" which leans towards gothic, while the second album "Archangel" has elements from many types of metal. Could this differentiation be related to the inspiration of the moment or to the evolution of your band's musical identity?

A.K: For me it's easy - I just compose what I have in my mind at the moment, that's why I have different songs and different styles. But in my opinion it's much more interesting than if all the songs are the same. So maybe it's a sort of composing evolution for me. So far I think that the upcoming "Symphony Of Rage" album is the most complicated from the composition side.

– In June you will release your third full-length album titled "Symphony Of Rage", give us some information about the new release.

A.K: Speaking about "Symphony Of Rage", let's say that all the songs that I have there came at the time when I left the Imperial Age and had a hard time thinking about the future and what's gonna happen in my life.

Let's also count all the political events that were and are happening last years and affecting me and my professional life as well and definitely have a reflection in my music too.

I have, as usual, a bit different styles of the songs, but this time I think they sound more connected and united to each other. Also this time I put all the effort into the sound, and I think that so far this is the best sound that I have ever had.

And the heaviest song that I've ever composed - Poetry Of Despair - with blastbeats and symphonic black metal sound is also on this album, you already heard it as a single before.

I have romantic "Excalibur" with the real flute, powerful "She-wolf" with organ sound, "Blood Of Heroes" and "Flight Of The Valkyrie" which I transformed from the old song from my first band, very personal "Reborn", sophisticated "Journey To the Stars", and of course the title powerful song "Symphony Of Rage". And as usual I have most of the songs in Russian as well.

– On May 31st you will appear at the Harmony Metal Festival in Belgium and on August 22nd in Heraklion, Crete at the Over The Wall - Crete Rock Festival in which you are the headliner. Are your appearances at these two festivals part of your new European tour?

A.K: I'm currently on my third European tour, and yes, I have two big upcoming festivals, one in Belgium, and one on Crete. I'm really looking forward to both of them, as having them in my schedule without any big label or management says a lot about my music and growing recognition. I'm also very grateful for the trust that the organisers put into me!

– It is the first time you appear in Greece with your own band, but you have appeared with Imperial Age in Athens in March 2018 as part of the Therion tour, what are your impressions of the Greek metal fans?

A.K: I like Greece and Greek people, I remember that the shows there were very loud, and the audience was really nice! I'm looking forward to visiting Crete for the first time in my life!

– What songs does the setlist that you will present at both festivals include, will it also include songs from the upcoming new album?

A.K: Sure, I'll play songs from the new album, as well as some old songs. I can't say about the Crete festival yet, as we don't know how much of the stage time we'll have, but we definitely will play "Symphony Of Rage", "She-wolf", "Blood Of Heroes", "Poetry Of Despair" and "Excalibur" from the new album.

– Send your message to the fans of metal music.

A.K: To all people who support me, participate in crowdfundings, buy new merch, listen to my music and support me on social media - big and huge thank you! As an independent artist, doing everything on my own, without a label, a big agency or sponsors, you are the ones who help me to continue and without you I couldn't do it!

We already went through so many things together, and I believe that it's only the beginning. There are many years of good music, great tours, festivals, music videos and everything else ahead! See you soon!

– Thank you Anna for this interesting interview, good luck in all your band's performances and I wish you a successful release of the new album !