Music Playlist
Born for Burning Radio: Hungarian Steel
Feb
We invited Hungarian heavy metal hero, Sir Lord Andorkappen over to bring us steel from his part of the world. He shares a truly heavy playlist, and some words and history of one of the most underrated scenes in the world. TO BE PLAYED LOUD AS HELL!
BORN FOR BURNING RADIO PRESENTS: HUNGARIAN STEEL
‘Magyar Metál’ means Hungarian Metal. That’s how we refer to it. We cherish it. There was a time when nothing else mattered. Just METAL. It was our religion. I remember those days clearly… Hungary was still under communist rule through much of the eighties, which obviously was the heyday of true/classic metal. While metal music proved to be extremely popular with the disillusioned youths of the Socialist Eastern Bloc, many bands that were active in the metal underground simply were not allowed to release records at all. There was only one state-controlled record label in the whole country and censorship was very much real and enforced. Metal was absolutely a form of artistic, social and spiritual rebellion. All of the featured bands fought countless battles so their music could be heard. I hope these 25 tracks from some of the most popular & influential bands provide you a glimpse into the early (glory) days of Hungarian Metal. The music shall speak for itself in spite of any language barriers. The songs are presented in chronological order to tell a story & take you on a proper journey into Magyar Metál. I hope you find these selections as worthwhile as I do. Turn up the volume knob & dive right in. Hail Global Metal Forever!!!
– Sir Lord Andorkappen 12/15/18
1. P.MOBIL – Örökmozgó (“Perpetual-Motion Machine”) 1981
The
band that started it all, one of the originators of Hungarian Hard Rock
& Heavy Metal. They were active since the early 70’s but were
barely tolerated by the communist regime of the time. They didn’t get to
put out their debut album ‘Mobilizmo’ until 1981 even though they were
one of the most popular and important bands of the late 70’s. Imagine if
Black Sabbath wasn’t allowed to make a record until 1980… Utterly
unfathomable!!! But such was the case in Hungary under Soviet rule.
P.Mobil’s legendary original singer Gyula Vikidál was dismissed from the
band before they could put out a proper album (he is on their early
7″s) – he was a communist party informant who ratted on his bandmates
and fellow musicians. That didn’t go down too smoothly with the rest of
the band, especially band leader Lorant Schuster, who still holds a
major grudge against him.
2. BEATRICE – Jerikó (“Jericho”) 1978/88Another
band that was a direct precursor to Magyar Metál, led by iconic
frontman Feró Nagy, who claimed to be the self-dubbed ‘cockroach of the
nation’. He later became a popular TV and radio personality, and also
wrote lyrics for Pokolgép. Strangely enough, when they first started out
they were a disco band but turned heavy after Feró Nagy fired all the
original members and took over the helm. They were considered a punk
band in the press but musically they were closer to metal/hard rock.
Beatrice was known for their scandalous live performances & they had
a huge underground following similar to P.Mobil. They were both
referred to as the of the black sheep of the Hungarian music scene.
Prime-era Beatrice were also not allowed to put out music on the
state-run Hungaroton record label – the ONLY publisher of music in
Hungary for a 40 year period! They finally re-recorded their intended
debut record in 1988 to huge acclaim.
3. PANDORA’S BOX – Vágtass Velem (“Gallop With Me”) 1983 The
band was more commonly known just as ‘P.Box’ – they featured several
former P.Mobil members, including singer Gyula Vikidál on vocals. He
might have possessed one of the most powerful & majestic voices in
Hard Rock history – and I mean that in the whole wide world! His band
after P.Mobil and just prior to P.Box was DINAMIT, another fantastic
band that put out two classic Hard Rock albums ‘Dinamit’ & ‘A Hid’
(The Bridge) – both well worth tracking down for fans of quality Eastern
Bloc hard rock. This song might be one of the first and finest examples
of Early Metal in Hungary. It features stripped down but sharp riffs
and memorable leads, ultra-minimalist straight ahead drums, and soaring,
impassioned vocals. The super basic, minimalist song structures and
tight playing was a common element of much early Magyar Metál. The ‘Kö
Kövön’ (Rock On Rock) album was a great success and hugely influential.
In spite of (or perhaps thanks to) being chastised as a communist
snitch, Vikidál maintained a successful career in the 80’s and 90’s,
becoming one of the top Hungarian musical theater actors. His most
famous role being Koppány in the rock musical ‘Stephen, The King’ which
featured a who-is-who of the early 80’s Hungarian rock scene.
4. P.MOBIL – Metálmánia (“Metalmania”) 1983Their
second official studio album ‘Heavy Medal’ continued their development
towards a heavier sound as evidenced by the album title and this very
track. By the time this album came out they were 10 year veterans in the
scene and a whole new era of heavy music was on the horizon. For a
while they were able to keep up but eventually the band fragmented and
passed the baton to a new generation of rockers. P.Mobil was overall the
most culturally and musically influential band of the ‘Primeval Metal’
era of the late 70’s/early 80’s. They were a symbol of integrity and
opposition to a culturally oppressive political system. Like most of
their songs, this also features extremely witty & biting lyrics (by
band leader/stage prankster Lóránt Schuster) packed with contemporary
references of life in Hungary at the time. This album was actually
widely appreciated and released in the entire eastern bloc, including
Russia where P.Mobil enjoyed substantial success – because they fucking
ruled, that’s why.
5. POKOLGÉP – A Sátán (“The Satan”) 1985Pokolgép’s
debut 7″ was the very first *proper* metal release in Hungary that
wasn’t just a hard rock band gone heavy. They were absolutely THE
definitive 80’s Magyar Metal band. While the material on their debut is
extremely rudimentary and it has a pronounced ‘Disco Metal’ feel thanks
to the crudely performed thumping drum machines/drum synthesizers, this
was still an extremely important release. The songs are actually pretty
great and catch but the execution and the production are a bit
problematic, haha. This 7″ is of course highly collectable, in no small
part thanks to the fascinating darth vader mask photoshoot on the cover.
They actually used to wear those masks during live shows in the early
days. Needless to say they scared the living crap out of me & I was
hooked for life.
6. STRESS – Séta Éjfélkor (“A Walk At Midnight”) 1986 Stress
actually preceded Pokolgép by several years and are widely recognized
as the first bona-fide Heavy Metal band in Hungary, having started out
in the late 70’s. At first they were a New Wave band but quickly morphed
into NWOBHM-influenced Magyar Metál. Their lyrics were quite unique,
often presenting eye-of-the-beholder style descriptions of nightlife,
women and metal. At the time of their respective 7″ debuts, Stress was a
far more musically advanced group than Pokolgép, but those guys quickly
closed the gap. Like many other bands of the era, they didn’t get to
put out a full length during the eighties at all and thus they didn’t
reach the level of commercial success Pokolgép did. Their first 7″
stands as a major Hungarian metal classic regardless. This riff is so
infectious, the drums so damn tight, the vocals so overdramatic – this
is about as fun as Old Metal gets!
7. POKOLGÉP – Pokolgép (“Hellmachine”) 1986
They
were in fact the quintessential Hungarian Metal Band. This is their
eponymous title track, the opening song on the legendary debut ‘Totális
Metál’. They were bigger than just a band, they were a cultural
phenomenon. They were the personification of Magyar Metál. This album
actually features live drums, which is not all that apparent on many of
their releases. Drummer Laszló Tarcza actually happened to be my drum
teacher back in the day, so I can attest that he can actually play damn
well. The word ‘Pokolgép’ actually stands for bomb or explosive device
in Hungarian, making it at least somewhat surprising they were allowed
to thrive by the government at the time… Many of their early lyrics
were written or co-written by Feró Nagy of Beatrice, he was likely the
one who elevated their stature and stirred up the hype about them early
on. It worked…
8. ROTOR – Metáháború (“Metal War”) 1987The
following two songs are from the very first Hungarian Metal compilation
‘Robbanásveszély’ (Explosion Hazard) – which came out on vinyl and
cassette and it was the very first Independent Hungarian Metal release –
it was both popular and influential in spite of the notoriously
horrible sound quality on the release. Such a catchy & spirited song
from RotoR – I dare you to look up both existing music videos to this
song, you won’t be disappointed – they are legendary for both their
amazingness and hilarity. Like most other selections listed here – it’s
available for free on youtube for your scholarly metal research. They
were a highly active band in the metal underground but as they were not
from Budapest, they didn’t get the recognition they deserved and didn’t
get to release their debut until 1991, the year several of the early
legends of the scene finally got to release their debuts thanks to the
fall of communism and the advent of free market economy.
9. SÁMÁN – Sámán (“Shaman”) 1987A
stirring, maniacally passionate anthem from a prominent & prolific
(as far as demos & concerts) band from the mid-80’s Hungarian metal
scene that broke up before they could have put out a full length. The
big-voiced & burly singer Zsolt Molics sang in countless other bands
after the untimely demise of Sámán. This is also from the
‘Robbanásveszély’ compilation and this was the best possible quality
version I could find. They later reformed and finally re-recorded their
classic songs in 2005 but it didn’t quite capture the fiery essence of
their early work. Of course lot of the early demo material from these
bands were recorded and distributed on cassette tapes exclusively – the
sound quality tends to vary quite a bit…
10. POKOLGÉP – Tökfej (“Pumpkinhead”) 1987Pokolgép’s
second LP was a major leap musically for the band – their musicianship
and creative vision grew rapidly. ‘Pokoli Szinjáték’ (Hellish Theatre)
is easily one of the best Hungarian Metal records ever, eventually
gaining cult following on the global level. By this time they were
rightfully referred to as “the biggest Metal band in Central Europe”.
There is something magical, truly heartfelt about this band’s work that
touches the listener – thanks in no small part to singer József
Kalapács’s passionate and expressive vocals and guitarist Gábor
Kukovecz’s ever-soaring, genius level guitar work.
11. OSSIAN – Metál Nemzedék (“Metal Generation”) 1988
Ossian
is the second most popular and prominent Magyar Metal band of the late
eighties. They were formed by ex-Pokolgép bassist Endre Paksi who picked
up the microphone, wrote the lyrics and hired talented musicians who
rivaled his former bandmates abilities (especially the flashy guitar wiz
Zoltán Maróthy). Paksi is not a talented singer in any way but his
lyrics are some of the best & most relatable I know of. He
eventually published multiple books of his crime stories under the
pseudonym Paul Trent. Their first record ‘Acélszív’ (Steelheart) is a
timeless Hungarian metal classic and one of the most popular as well,
the whole album is packed with anthems. I know this record
word-for-word. Like seemingly many of the early Magyar Metál records, it
might or might not feature drum machines and/or an electronic drum set.
Whatever it is, it works perfectly here.
12. LORD – Tombolhat A Szél (“The Wind Can Rage”) 1988This
is a very long-running and beloved band that maintained their
popularity throughout the years and kept at it admirably since 1972!
LORD is more of a Melodic Hard Rock / Pop Metal band that everyone
seemed to like (including my mother). Their shows were legendarily fun
and energetic. The entire ‘Szemedben A Csillagok’ (The Stars In Your
Eyes) record is consistently strong and damn catchy from top to bottom,
packed with Hungaro-Hard Rock classics. Their surprisingly beefy sound
and quality production was a rarity at the time – this was one of the
few bands that had a chance to go perform and record in Western Europe.
13. CLASSICA – A Fém Gyermekei (“The Children Of Metal”) 1989Classica
was perhaps the most talented and universally acclaimed young metal
band in Hungary at one time, however their career was derailed by
multiple factors. Their talented original singer turning into a devout
christian, and the band’s young guitarist prodigy Zoltán Fejes had to
serve mandatory military service. They played a form of grandiose and
majestic Neoclassical Metal, full of passion, drama and emotion. Their
initially hotly anticipated 1989 debut was shitcanned by the Hungaroton
State Recording Company for reasons unknown to mankind. It was not
released until 2006(!) – an absolutely cruel & unjust disaster.
14. DIKTÁTOR – A Sátán Kutyája (“The Dog Of Satan”) 1989This
band released their first demo in 1987 entitled ‘Animal Metal’ and that
was their self-described style and image as well. They were bestial and
simplistic with a touch of genuine musicality and very bizarre, almost
avant-garde lyrics. This song is off the legendary ‘Black & Speed
Metal’ compilation cassette which also features two weird & obscure
versions of two early Tormentor songs and a few other early Hungarian
thrash metal bands. I must hereby give further credit to the mighty
Tormentor here, they were of course one of the most revolutionary and
influential (black) metal bands ever. Their lack of inclusion in this
mix is partially due to the fact that they sang in English, like most
Hungarian Thrash/Black/Death Metal bands that followed them. I feel that
bands that sang in English belong in a different category as they
consciously attempted to gain international recognition (which was very
difficult and a huge risk domestically considering most Hungarians at
the time did not speak English at all). Tormentor’s ‘Seventh Day Of
Doom’ and ‘Anno Domini’ are absolute classics – I assume that you
already MUST know them! Two other bands that nearly made the cut into
this mix are ATOMIC (Raw Thrash Metal, unfortunately their 80’s
recordings like many other great similar bands of the era were extremely
low-fi) and UNDERTAKING (Ripping Fast Thrash, I highly recommend their
1989 ‘V12BB4U” demo, possibly the best of its kind from the country!
15. MOBY DICK – A Kiválasztott (“The Chosen One”) 1989
This
killer proto-thrash/speed track is off the legendary & awesome
‘Garázs’ compilation LP, curated by Beatrice frontman Feró Nagy. His
weekly radio show by the same name introduced many of the bands featured
here to unsuspecting Hungarian audiences during the late 80’s. Hearing
bands like this on the radio for the first time when you were 8-10 years
old was nothing short of life-changing, for better or worse. There were
only a total of THREE (state-run) radio stations, so being on the air
was a really really big deal for bands. Moby Dick is one of the
longest-running metal bands in Hungary having been formed in 1980, they
are also considered the first Hungarian Thrash Metal band. Singer Tamás
Schmiedl was not known as a very talented vocalist, but his guttural
grunts work just perfect on this track.
16. MORRIS – Apokalipszis (“Apocalypse”) 1989 A
lesser known band in the mainstream due to the fact that they were from
a smaller town and not from the capital Budapest. They never got to
release an album in spite of the fact that they were one of the most
powerful and capable live bands of the mid/late 80’s. The bass
player/band leader was most definitely a Steve Harris fanatic with
equally nimble fingers. This spirited live take is also from the
legendary ‘Garázs’ compilation LP. Even more legendary is the fact that
this LP came with a sample condom included – the first time ever in
Hungary they introduced condoms to the public. Naturally, this killer
comp got a lot of attention! I actually have a copy (condom still
sealed, thankfully).
17. POKOLGÉP – A Lázadó (“The Rebel”) 1989This
is one of the best tracks from their most successful album ‘Éjszakai
Bevetés’ that made them bona-fide stars in Hungary, but also signaled
the beginning of the end for their original lineup due to creative
differences between the band members. The singer József Kalapács is at
his emotionally expressive best on this power ballad and Gábor
Kukovecz’s signature sharp & shrill riffing style is on full display
on the whole record. Like many of Pokolgép’s records – the production
values are questionable. Here they were really going for that ultra-dry
‘And Justice For All” sound… You be the judge!
18. OSSIAN – Föltámadott A Tenger (“The Sea Has Risen”) 1989Their
second album ‘Félre Az Útból’ (Get Out Of The Way) was a substantial
leap artistically and instrumentally from the in-your-face accessibility
of their debut from a year before. This song actually features the
words from a poem by one of Hungary’s greatest poets Sándor Petöfi
comparing the political uprising of people to the raging seas.This
is song a shining example for the growing popularity of Speed Metal in
Hungary during this time. Both Ossian and Pokolgép sped up their music
substantially, culminating in their respective 1991 releases that are
also featured here..
19. CLASSICA – A Megszállott (“The Obsessed”) 1989
Another
song from one of the most promising bands of the era that never lived
up to the promise of their prodigious talent. I consider this to be one
of the very greatest Hungarian Metal songs of all time. The absolutely
wizardlike guitar playing here is nothing short of Yngwie
Malmsteen-esque! The song is about the eternal unwinnable internal
battle that we all must face within us. How deep, how soaring!!!
20. MOBY DICK – Keresztes Vitéz (“The Crusader”) 1990Their
‘Ugass Kutya!’ (Bark You Dog!) album was the first Hungarian Thrash
Metal album – the delay in the stylistic development of the genre in
Hungary is rather apparent. This was also the case with most other
musical trends, western pop culture and fashion. We were usually a few
years behind – the limiting cultural effects of the Iron Curtain were in
fact real. While most of the record features fairly simplistic &
stripped-down Kreator-influenced Euro Thrash with angry but witty
lyrics, this song is one of their most melodic early classics that was
re-recorded for this release.
21. STRESS – Nukleáris Világ (“Nuclear World”) 1991In
a fair world, Stress would have been just as successful as Pokolgép,
but it’s not a fair world out there. Even though they preceded them by
nearly several years they had to wait until ’91 to release their debut
on Beatrice singer Feró Nagy’s short-lived label. By then this type of
high energy Pure Metal was no longer as popular as it once was. The
whole album ‘Kisertetkastély’ (Haunted Castle) is great – every damn
song is good on the album! Their legendary vocalist Tibor Lörincz is in
rare form here, his hysterical voice is somewhere between Mickey Mouse
& Vince Neil, although with way funnier lyrics.
22. ROTOR – Tépj Szét Minden Láncot (“Tear Apart Every Chain”) 1991Yet
another legendary band that had to wait until 1991 to release their
official debut album even though they were one of the forerunners of the
genre in the mid-80’s. This is overall a fantastic record packed with
memorable metal anthems, impassioned vocals and lyrics largely dedicated
to the love of metal. One of the very strongest Magyar Metál albums in
spite of its rather puzzling, challenged production values.
23. LADY MACBETH – Lady Macbeth 1991This
was a band that was both critically acclaimed and beloved by their
small but devoted fan base but never gained widespread national
attention in spite of their excellent musicianship, good songwriting
ability and just another Hungarian singer with a particularly powerful
voice. Their self-titled debut only came out on cassette but it’s
considered one of the best of its kind in Hungary, featuring a style of
slightly more modern American-style speed/power metal.
24. OSSIAN – Az Ítéletnap (“The Judgement Day”) 1991Their
fourth record turned out to be their heaviest. A powerful statement of
expertly performed ripping Speed/Power Metal with witty and sharply
critical lyrics dealing with disillusionment with life in post-Socialist
Hungary. The intro to this amazing song even features a Trouble-style
doom metal riff. 1991 was perhaps the last great year of the glory days
of Magyar Metál, with the two most popular bands Pokolgép and Ossian
both delivering career-rejuvenating albums.
25. POKOLGÉP – Adj Ùj Eröt (“Give Me New Strength”) 1991After
their charismatic singer József Kalapács & rhythm guitarist Laszlo
Nagyfi left the band to form OMEN (a fairly successful group on its own
right) – Pokolgép wrote an absolute masterpiece of an album that was
sadly plagued by a sterile, paper-thin production. It was somewhat of a
concept album with powerful, honest lyrics dealing with disillusionment
and cultural rot in post-socialism era Hungary. Things did not get
better for the average citizen, corruption ran rampant. They were hard
times indeed… The record features incredibly guitar work by band
leader Gábor Kukovecz & absolutely stunning, gruff yet acrobatic
vocals by Joe Rudán (who later spent significant time singing for a
reformed version of P.Mobil after his stint in Pokolgép, to close the
circle).
