OMEGA - "6: NEM TUDOM A NEVED" (1975)

Omega was one of the most popular and enduring Magyar bands. My favorite phase of their career took place in the second half of the Seventies, when they became a staple of European prog and space rock.

This album is probably their best. It features two space rock gems such as the title track and "Huszadik századi városlakó", alongside with shorter hard rock anthems and epic ballads.
The record is sealed with sensational sci-fi artwork that perfectly represents a band at its creative peak. Over time, they developed a strong international cult following, particularly in Germany and Poland.

The line-up remained unchanged since 1971, with János Kóbor (vocals), Tamás Mihály (bass guitar), György Molnár (guitars), Ferenc Debreczeni (drums), and László Benkő (keyboards). Sadly, Mihály and Benkő both passed away in November 2020, followed by Kóbor in December 2021. After his passing, Molnár and Debreczeni decided to bring the band's career to an end.

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EAST - "HŰSÉG" (1982)

Introduced by a wonderful artwork, "Hűség" ("Fidelity") is the second album released by progressive rock band East, from Szeged (Hungary). They never reached the mainstream audience, in spite of a rather approachable sound, but they have been able to build a small, loyal fanbase. 
The tracklist is composed by eleven songs, in which symphonic prog dynamics meets space rock technology, giving birth to evocative melodies with atmospheric guitars and keyboard layers.
The sound is definitely advanced for its time: it doesn't sound like the latest records of the classic prog at all, but rather like the first ones of the neo-prog movement. Compare it to bands such as Pallas, Iq, or Marillion, which all came later, and you will be surprised.

East:
István Király, drums
Péter Móczán, bass guitar
Géza Pálvölgyi, keyboards
János Varga, guitars
Miklós Zareczky, vocals

Producer: Ferenc Dobó

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