While on a big EU tour supporting the album Legacy of Atlantis, on the 20th of January 2019, in Bielsko Bilala, Poland, Imperial Age founder and lead singer Aor (Alexander Osipov) broke his right arm in a street fight after the show. He was taken on an ambulance to the local hospital, where the doctors said the arm was broken and displaced in three places and advanced surgery was urgently needed to save it.
So the two band leaders – Aor and Jane – decided to fly home to Moscow to perform urgent osteosynthesis (surgical operation involving a metal plate being screwed to the bone fragments) and ordered the band to continue the tour without them.
Over the next 5 days Aor was hospitalised and some of the best Russian surgeons performed the complex 3-hour-long operation, which the musician endured very well.
 
However, the doctors prohibited Aor to continue the tour siting the severity of the injury and the necessity to heal. But Aor is not that kind of person. 1 day after the operation, with Jane’s help, he left the hospital with a bleeding hand and together they flew to Germany to join the band in Munich (the band had played 5 shows without its leaders by that time).
The next 2 weeks Aor sang concerts with a sling, until he was able to remove it before the show in Lyon, France. Now his hand is healing fast (faster than the usual rate) and he can move it well enough to do basic things and even type and hold the microphone a little bit.
Since he is not able to drive, the tour van is driven by Paul Vredes (guitarist) and Jane Odintsova (singer and co-founder).
In a week from now Aor will have an x-ray in Germany and if it proves that the hand has healed well, he will be able to start fully using it.
The metal plate will have to be removed in a year from now. Until that time he is not just a metalhead, but also a metalhand! 🙂
The huge Imperial Age European tour will last until 24th March, after which the band returns home to film a new music video which is being funded by crowdfunding – you can support the band here.
Thanks for the free download tracks which introduced me to the band. I really like the two tracks from the ‘Warrior Race’ EP and have ordered the CD version from you.
Aor’s arm injury sounds nasty. Hopefully he’ll stay out of trouble now. Nothing good comes of street fighting! Glad he’s getting better though. Well done with the music. I also like: Nightwish, Evanescence, Lacuna Coil, Opeth, Riverside, Galahad, Mostly Autumn and Karnataka – to name some bands. Big rock and pop fan from the UK.
That’s one of the most Russian stories I’ve ever read. Take care of yourself, Товарищ. I’ve only recently discovered the music of Imperial Age. I have been an enthusiastic fan of Russian male singers, especially when they sing with power as you do. Your voice, which could have been part of the famous Red Army Chorus, is the male equivalent of the famous female symphonic metal vocalists.
Hey guys.
I just recently started to follow you guys and I saw this. Alex hope you still recovering well and doing your therapy. By the way… beside you got badly injured in the brawl I hope that at least few of them got beat up also. At least with a boot stock in their ass.🤘😎🤘
Love your music and hope some day we could meet up for a cold beer and enjoy your show. Take good care of that arm and have a great rest of the year.
Hugs for all and kisses for the girls.
🤘Keep it Metal🤘
Gino
Thank you ALL together for the great Imperial Age show in Mörlenbachs Live-Music-Hall-Weiher.
We are still deeply impressed to see you on stage and to listen to your fantastic voices !
We wish you a succesful tour and very, very much applause in all your coming shows!
Hope to see you again, soon in GERMANY !
Yours ArKona & Franz
PS: Guys … dont forget to buy the brilliant CDs – they will fill the hours until you will see the band again… 🙂