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Who knew a reader’s letter in
Prog
161 would encourage so much debate?
Enslaved: men with beards looking serious.
PRESS/ROY BJØRGE
Sometime In February, as featured in #159.
BENEATH THE IRON CURTAIN
I understand that Prog tends to focus primarily on the UK scene, but I wanted to ask whether you’re aware of the many outstanding bands that emerged from Eastern Europe in the 70s and 80s, many of which are still active today? Poland, Hungary, Czechia, and the former Yugoslavia produced some remarkable acts that deserve more attention.
Take Poland, for example. SBB, Józef Skrzek, Czesław Niemen, and Skaldowie played a major role in shaping the local progressive sound. SBB in particular has been cited as an influence by both Mikael Åkerfeldt and Steven Wilson – surely a testament to their quality and innovation? Hungary also has a rich prog history, with Omega, Solaris, and Syrius. From Czechia, we have Blue Effect, and the former Yugoslavia gave us greats like Time, Smak, Korni Grupa, and Drugi Nac˘in.