MARSBÉLI KRÓNIKÁK (MARTIAN CHRONICLES)

"The Martian Chronicles" was released in 1983, and quickly became a hit in Hungary. But, it wasn't until about 1995, after SOLARIS played Progfest '95, that the rest of the prog world got a chance to discover this Eastern European gem. The album starts off with a side-long epic entitled "The Martian Chronicles Parts 1-6" which mixes Klaus SCHULZE-like synth work, with overly melodic interplay between piano, guitar, and flute. Nothing here gets too complex, rather the band seemed to have focused on creating beautiful, and playful, themes. After the side-long epic, things get a bit more aggressive with my favorite piece called "Mars Poetica". In my opinion, this sounds like a progressive, and instrumental, version of IRON MAIDEN with flutes, and Moog synths thrown in. The album goes on to end with a few more shorters tracks that feature aggressive synth solos, melodic flute interludes, and metal-guitar riffing. A classic!