If you’re old enough to remember the height of the Cold War, then you have a sense of the risk the guys from Metalinda were taking by forming a hard rock band in Czechoslovakia back in 1983. Sure, it wasn’t the USSR. But the ruling communist regime still didn’t take kindly to decadent Western music infiltrating its state-ruled social fabric. Yes, the people of that former country had a reputation for not caving to the Soviets, as was evidenced by The Prague Spring of 1968. But they were also on the receiving end of a massive Soviet military response. They knew the ramifications of poking that particular bear. So playing hard rock in the 80s was not a decision one made lightly, I suspect.
I came across Metalinda’s full-length debut while on a day trip in Bratislava, Slovakia, the band’s home town. It was the back cover that told me I needed this record:
These guys had clearly been exposed to the metal of the day, and this record coming out just a year after the Berlin Wall came down meant it was probably their first chance to truly, fully express themselves. And I had to hear what that was about.
For 1990, this definitely feels metal. There are some great riffs and vocals that soar at times. Solos? Hell yeah. Shredding? Check. “Van Beethoven” is a killer jam and on that 19-year-old me definitely would have been into. You want a slow burn? “Xenia”1 has you covered. Oh, you like it heavy? Check out the opening of “Velím Si Sám”. There’s a lot to like here – every track is solid.
Originally released on vinyl and cassette in 1990, Metalinda got the reissue treatment last year on heavy 180 gram vinyl and CD. And guess what? They’re still rocking, having released their 16th album about six years ago. Physical copies of their releases might be a bit costly if you live in the US due to shipping, but have no fear – you can stream Metalinda on Spotify, and probably elsewhere. So throw up the horns and give these guys a listen.
- My copy has a skip on this track. There’s no visible blemish on the record itself, so I’m not sure if this is possibly a pressing flaw. ↩︎