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Does someone have some informations about the 80's Romanian scene ?

The most of Romanian bands that I know are emerging in the mid 90's.

I know what it should not be easy to play in metal band there at that period due to the political and economical situation of the country.

The only two bands I've heard of are IRIS and VOLTAJ.

some bands that I have heard of but not listened:

Autostop
Cargo
Celelalte Cuvinte
Compact
Holograf
Magneton
Metrock

All those bands have released LPs, but I am quite sure that they sound more like Hard Rock than Metal...The real Metal bands were in the early 90`s I guess like Conexiuni or the Thrash band Neurotica.

From the 80s Iris was quite metallic, and really good, Voltaj was good as well. Compact were very nice, as well as Holograf's early albums, and early Riff, all of them were Hard rock. After Cargo in 1990 came a boom and many more bands, in a much more heavy metal style.

The only Romanian album I own is the CARGO debut. Apart from some more commercial songs on side A it's really brilliant melodic Metal/HR with that typical ultramelancholic East-Euro edge. Like a slower, softer AHAT maybe?

METROK made an album in the late 70's or early 80's I think, which is supposed to be more 70's hr/prog. The 2nd album from the early 90's has some great songs but also some more modern Thrash-elements.

Derrik wrote:From the 80s Iris was quite metallic, and really good

Didn't know they were HM. Which album would you recommend to start with?

DaN wrote: Didn't know they were HM. Which album would you recommend to start with?

The only IRIS album I have is a "best of", released in the mid-90's if I remember well, which is not bad yet quite inequal.

DaN wrote: Didn't know they were HM. Which album would you recommend to start with?

Their heaviest is probably "Iris 1993", which was released in vinyl through Electrecord. Their first four albums are very NWOBHMish so you can expect Priest-influenced numbers as well as more hard-rockin' stuff. After "Iris 1993" they changed their sound to a more modern hard rock sound, not bad but well...
Excellent new romanian band Trooper released a while ago a "Tribute to Iris" EP which is simply amazing!

I heard about Metrok that the one that released the album in the 70`s is not the same as the Metal band.

About Iris I read in the Eastern European book: It sounds like NWOBHM with a touch of RnR. When the singer screams high you feel a bit like listening to early US Metal...

roihlem wrote:I heard about Metrok that the one that released the album in the 70`s is not the same as the Metal band.

It was "the same band", just very different music and line-up wise

Celelalte Cuvinte were kind of a progressive hard rock band, with some metallic moments but also some very 70s moments. At least the stuff I've heard of them.

I want to hear that band!!!

Krypton, great band, Hard & heavy with nice keyboards

roihlem wrote: About Iris I read in the Eastern European book: It sounds like NWOBHM with a touch of RnR. When the singer screams high you feel a bit like listening to early US Metal...

Hmm, interesting. I just heard they are playing near my home tomorrow. Free gig at concert hall! I guess I have to check them out...

There is also a band called Metalchrist that played some kind of Power-Thrash... They released one tape-album in 1994 "Nihil Sine Deo" on Transglobal Media.

It's a pretty good tape.

I like the first Monstru Sexual album. It contains a few of the old songs when they were called Harap Alb (1983-1985 or the like), which sound very 70ies Hard Rock.

Hmm, kind of interesting. Never heard any bands from Romania yet