HOKROVA VILA

Understanding the lyrics is obviously the advantage here (being the crazy poetry kind of juxtaposing contrary things together, mundane situations made suddenly weird). Think paranoia about being watched, criticism of current shallow society or just a man who thinks he's a chicken and will live in a henhouse. It works more with suggesting/hinting at concepts rather than directly naming them. Knowing Czech is not mandatory though.

It's OK, as there are many instrumental parts of the songs and also instrumental songs only. Very similar both lyrically and musically to Plastic People of the Underground. Being sometimes jazzy (cacophonic kind), it never lasts too long and there is strong melodic theme thorough the tracks. You can bang your head (slowly) to some of them, the rhythm goes on well.

Other than that, Rivertree said the rest well, better than I could. He gets the history of this band right and the (bad for non-conformist, Prog music) situation in Czechoslovakia back in the day this music was conceived (the height of "normalization in Czechoslovakia" - read about it on wiki, it's well written article and interesting I think). And also good translations of songs (knowing both Czech and English well I can tell that he must understand something about our culture and nation. Well, maybe a little correction, first track is actually "Tomcat has arrived (to us)" and the Cell (as in jail cell of medieval type).

One of the most proggiest Czech albums, go for it fellas!