After an acceptable enough debut with "30 Minute", Krypton (this time spelled with the 'Y' that would become ever-present from now on) had to endure a lot of internal turbulence, resulting in an almost complete reshuffling of the band. The most drastic absence would undoubtely be Eugen Mihăescu (G), band leader and songwriter, that moved to Germany to study Music at the University of Köln - and to make a personal escape from Romania's dictatorship, I'd wager. Surprisingly, Krypton managed to survive this massive loss, with bassist Dragos Docan assuming the reins of the venture and nearly reinventing the band as a whole. In an effort to create something of an aura around themselves, the outfit decided to adopt especially designed stage clothes (something unique in Romania at the time) and to play a different kind of music, more attuned with the heavier stuff going on at the other side of the Iron Curtain. From all this, came "Făra Teamă" - not only my favorite album from all Romanian Metal, but also one of the most important LPs ever released in that country.
It was a time of changes in Romania, and "Făra Teamă" was totally engulfed by the essence of those days. Written a short while before the destitution of local dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, the lyrics were to be submitted to the approval of the censorship department of Securitate - something that never happened, fortunately, as revolution took the streets right on time. The recording sessions began shortly after the end of the communist regime, and the firegun held by drummer Razvan Lupu at the front cover was lent by one of the soldiers who were guarding the streets during those troubled days.
"Făra Teamă" was the first rock album released in Romania after Ceausescu was gone, an impressive enough feat to secure a very special place in Romania's history. But Krypton's second LP deserves a listen not just because its historic background. Actually, it is a goddamn bloody good album - something that the weak production and not-remotely-interesting artwork may try to hide, but don't let yourself be fooled. The opening song, "Nemuritori", tell no lies about what's to come, building upon a simple yet creative song structure to deliver a extremely listenable slice of hard/heavy music with a memorable chorus. Really impressive. The following songs are more or less the same thing (thank God), adding some subtle classical influences to make things even more interesting. In fact, songs like "Sint Doar un Nor" and "Capriciu 4" are not that distant from what Helloween would do with Andi Deris in later years - surely with not the same level of musicianship or prowess, but still reaching very respectable results.
The band sounds really tight. Even though his bass was mixed a bit too high for my liking, Dragos Docan shows how good a musician and composer he is, writing nearly all the songs on his own. Razvan Lupu is a strong drummer, while Manuel Savu fulfills the difficult task of filling Eugen Mihaescu's shoes leaving very little room for any criticism. Valentin Stoian does a commendable job on the keys as well, but I guess that singer Gabriel "Gurita" Nicolau gets the most enthusiastic thumbs-up around here, as he towers high above the lackluster vocals of "30 Minute" and delivers a sharp, dynamic, very impressive performance throughout this album. He is still considered one of the finest singers Romania ever had and, listening to this LP, it gets very easy to understand why.
All eight songs are pretty good. OK, "Am Crezut in Ochii Tai" (the inevitable ballad) may not be as great as the other songs, but its four-and-a-half minutes are perfectly listenable, not ruining the listening experience to any great extent. Apart from the aforementioned "Nemuritori", my favorites would be "Cheama-ma" (a very catchy hard rocker which was a huge sucess in Romania at the time), "Incearca Sa Crezi" (nice chorus), "Inima de Fata" and, most of all, the outstanding title track, maybe the best song I ever heard from a romanian Metal band. The uplifting message of the lyrics fell right into place for a country still discovering its freedom, and it's not an overstatement to say it became something of a rock anthem in Romania - a status that is still valid to this day, and I don't think will ever be disputed.
The line-up responsible for "Făra Teamă" would not stay together for long, though the first major change (the return of Eugen Mihaescu) wasn't exactly a letdown in any sense. You can hear a glimpse of this revised line-up in a compilation named "Rock '92 Volumul 1" (1992), recorded during the creatively-titled Rock '92 festival in Bucharest. They deliver a sterling, highly enjoyable live version of "Făra Teamă", and I would definitely love to hear the full set they played that night, though I reckon the master tapes are probably long lost by now. The band's profile in Romania was so high back then that they had little problem embarking on "Lanțurile", an ambitious rock opera that still stands as one of the most remarkable (if not musically faultless) releases ever crafted by a Romanian rock band. While I take my time to write a worthy review to such a significant record, I'd strongly suggest you to give the charming "Făra Teamă" a few spins, as I'm sure you won't be disappointed. I remember how excited I was when I found an active link to download it, and I wasn't disappointed in any sense, as I still listen to it from time to time and it always sound good and fresh. What a find, my friends. Give yourself a present and find it, too.
Gabriel “Gurita” Nicolau (V), Manuel Savu (G), Dragos Docan (B/V), Razvan Lupu (D), Valentin Stoian (K).
01. Nemuritori (Immortals) (Docan) 4:03
02. Incearca Sa Crezi (Try to Believe) (Docan) 3:25
03. Sint Doar Um Nor (I'm Just a Cloud) (Docan) 4:15
04. Cheama-ma (Call Me) (Docan) 4:57
05. Capriciu 4 (Docan) 3:48
06. Am Crezut In Ochii Tai (I Believed in Your Eyes) (Docan) 4:47
07. Inima de Fată (Heart of a Girl) (Savu / Docan) 3:07
08. Făra Teamă (No Fear) (Docan) 4:11
Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me (drequon@gmail.com) and let me know!
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