Pushking

Although originally formed in 1994, it was not until 2011 that Russian rockers Pushking released an album officially released in the U.S. Despite bandmembers coming and going over the years, the main constant of Pushking has been Konstantin "Koha" Shustarev, who has been the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter from the get-go. Specializing in a sound that leans toward mainstream rock (with a metallic edge), the band has issued countless releases over the years in their homeland, including such titles as Keepers of the Nature and Art, Poka Ja Zhivoy (English translation: "While I Am Alive"), and No Comment, among others. Additionally, the group became a major concert draw in their homeland, as evidenced by a performance in 2000 in Gorky Park in front of 50,000 concert goers. But despite all the regional success, Pushking went largely unnoticed in other parts of the world, until the release of 2011's The World as We Love It. Produced by Fabrizio Grossi and released on the Armoury label, the album was an undeniably calculated move to try and break the band in the U.S., as the album featured re-recordings of Pushking's best material, while each track featured a renowned hard rock guest (including Paul Stanley, Alice Cooper, Billy Gibbons, Steve Vai, and others).