Phoenix

Background

Phoenix formed in 1961 in Timișoara under the name Sfinții, initiated by guitarist and art student Nicolae Covaci. He studied painting at the local Institute of Fine Arts and had a background in classical piano and guitar. Vocalist Florin “Moni” Bordeianu, born in nearby Beșenova Nouă, joined the group from its earliest rehearsals in 1962. Initially emulating UK beat acts like The Shadows and The Beatles, the band played student venues with a repertoire dominated by western covers. Alongside bassist Béla Kamocsa and rhythm guitarist Claudiu Rotaru, they became a prominent “electric guitar” ensemble in Romania’s early rock scene. Due to political restrictions, they adopted the name Phoenix in 1965 to avoid religious connotations.

In 1964, Phoenix recorded their first original song, “Știu că mă iubești și tu,” for Romanian radio. Over the next year, they began integrating regional folk themes into their material, with “Bun e vinul ghiurghiuliu” and “Pădure, pădure” marking the earliest examples of Romanian folk-inspired rock. These early recordings, though limited in scope, demonstrated a growing desire for stylistic autonomy in a restrictive cultural climate.

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Vremuri (EP)

Phoenix made their recording debut in 1968 with the Vremuri EP, released by Electrecord as part of its new “beat” series (45-EDC 10.006). The release coincided with the band’s top prize win at the National Student Festival in Iași.

The EP mixes original Romanian-language beat songs with western pop covers, performed in English. “Vremuri” and “Canarul” are early Covaci/Bordeianu collaborations rooted in romantic nostalgia, while “Lady Madonna” (The Beatles) and “Friday on My Mind” (The Easybeats) showcase the group’s British Invasion affinities and musical versatility.

A1. “Vremuri” [Old Times]
A2. “Canarul” [The Canary]
B1. “Lady Madonna” (Lennon–McCartney)
B2. “Friday on My Mind” (Vanda–Young)

Covaci plays lead guitar and shares vocals with Bordeianu, who fronts all four tracks. Kamocsa plays bass and sings backing parts. Rotaru (rhythm guitar) departed prior to sessions; Florin Dumitru of Mondial plays drums, and Günther Reininger contributes piano and vocals on both B-sides. Covaci arranged the material and conducted.

Sessions took place at Electrecord Studios in Bucharest in mid-1968 with rudimentary multitrack techniques: rhythm instruments first, followed by lead guitar and vocals. Reininger later recalled that, despite sparse equipment, the studio produced a surprisingly well-balanced sound. Over 120,000 copies sold rapidly, but Phoenix was denied a Gold Disc due to political favoritism.

Phoenix promoted the EP with televised appearances and live shows across Romania. Their floral shirts and introspective poses on the cover—shot in Timișoara’s Parcul Rozelor—reflected a shift toward hippy aesthetics, even as official state media discouraged English-language singing.

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Totuși sînt ca voi (EP)

Phoenix issued their second EP in 1969 as part of the same Electrecord beat series (45-EDC 10.081). Referred to colloquially as Floarea stîncilor, it marked their transition to a fully self-written repertoire with sharper lyrical focus.

All four tracks are original compositions by Bordeianu and Covaci. “Totuși sînt ca voi” and “Floarea stîncilor” reflect existential and symbolic themes. “Nebunul cu ochii închiși” [The Fool With Closed Eyes], inspired structurally by “The Fool on the Hill,” directly critiques political conformity, with Bordeianu’s lyrics alluding to dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. “Ar vrea un eschimos” uses surreal allegory to convey alienation.

A1. “Totuși sînt ca voi” [Still, I Am Like You]
A2. “Floarea stîncilor” [The Cliff Flower]
B1. “Nebunul cu ochii închiși” [The Fool With Closed Eyes]
B2. “Ar vrea un eschimos” [An Eskimo Would Want]

Covaci and Bordeianu retain their vocal and guitar roles, with Kamocsa on bass and backing vocals. Pilu Ștefanovici and Dorel Vintilă Zaharia split drumming duties. Reininger handles piano and contributes vocals on “Floarea stîncilor.” A studio orchestra arranged by Reininger adds strings and winds to “Nebunul cu ochii închiși.”

Recorded in Bucharest in 1969 with minimal overdubs, the sessions followed a similar structure to Vremuri. The absence of English-language covers didn’t impact its popularity—sales remained strong, indicating local listeners’ growing interest in Romanian-language rock with lyrical depth.

The record was reissued that same year with both Vremuri and Totuși sînt ca voi tracklists combined on the back cover. Both EPs were later compiled on Remember Phoenix (1991) and Vremuri, anii 60… (1998). Bordeianu’s departure in 1970 marked the end of Phoenix’s beat era and the beginning of their folk-rock evolution.

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1970–71 Interim

Following the release of their second EP, Phoenix entered a prolonged period of instability and forced retreat. The departure of vocalist Moni Bordeianu and the group’s subsequent informal ban from touring, radio, and television curtailed official activity for more than a year. Lineup attrition reduced the band to Nicu Covaci, Dorel Vintilă Zaharia, Béla Kamocsa, and Günther Reininger, who assumed lead vocal and piano duties. During 1970, the group performed regularly at the PM6 club in Timișoara, drawing on an English-language blues-rock repertoire largely composed by Reininger, while also appearing at student festivals and benefit concerts.

Late 1970 brought decisive changes. Béla Kamocsa departed and Mircea Baniciu joined as vocalist, followed by Zoltán Kovács on bass. Parallel to live work, Phoenix became involved in the stage production Țiganiada, a satirical theatrical project that placed the band and its circle directly onstage as performers and actors. The nationwide tour that followed restored public visibility and allowed Phoenix to integrate short concert segments into the performances. New material written during this period marked a shift toward Romanian-language songwriting and the first sustained use of folkloric sources.

By mid-1971, further personnel changes stabilized the lineup around Covaci, Baniciu, Josef Kappl, and Costin Petrescu, with visual artist Valeriu Sepi contributing stage design and performance concepts. Systematic study of Romanian archaic folklore replaced earlier blues and beat models, aligning the group with cultural directives issued that summer while simultaneously providing a distinctive artistic framework. This convergence of lineup consolidation, repertory renewal, and conceptual direction directly set the stage for Phoenix’s first full-length album and the emergence of their defining ethno-rock identity.

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Cei ce ne-au dat nume

Phoenix released their debut album, Cei ce ne-au dat nume, in 1972 on Electrecord (STM-EDE 0754), marking the first full-length 12″ rock album issued in Romania. The title translates as Those Who Gave Us Names.

They conceived the album as a folkloric song cycle centered on the passage of time and seasons, structured around Romanian ritual traditions: funerals, annual customs, and weddings. It opened as a concept work, originally intended as a double album, but censorship forced it into a single LP. Side A presented selections from the titular suite, performed live under the same name; Side B contains two stand-alone compositions.

Covaci and bassist Josef Kappl developed the material in response to Ceaușescu’s 1971 edict demanding folkloric content in all cultural works. They adapted shepherd chants, mourning songs, wedding customs, and winter games into amplified, modern arrangements that wove together asymmetric rhythms, polyphonic layering, and folkloric modes. Victor Cârcu contributed lyrics that blended with anonymous traditional stanzas, making authorial origins indistinguishable. The extended suite culminated in “Nunta,” symbolizing generational renewal.

The first half of Cei ce ne-au dat nume unfolds as a conceptual suite charting a symbolic seasonal cycle. It opens with “Preludiu – A oilor,” where distorted guitar outlines a slow, dirge-like phrase that segues into “Jocul timpului,” driven by glinting double-six rhythm and reverberant flute phrases over bell-like accents from toms and cymbals. The spring movement—“Primăvara – Introducere” and “Paparuga”—shifts abruptly to an uptempo acoustic-electric interplay, underpinned by prominent, nimble bass runs and rhythmic interjections from tambourine and auxiliary percussion. “Vara” replaces folk motifs with thickly amplified guitar lines and a fuzz-laced bass solo, trading off with vocals in a staggered call-response format. “Toamna” retains this distortion-forward structure, but wraps its verse in close harmonies before extending into a raw, extended solo that cycles over a descending chord sequence.

“Iarna – Introducere” and “Jocul caprelor” form a brief wintry interlude, alternating quiet vocals and plucked acoustic guitar with rhythmic passages centered on hand drums and fluiere. The suite resolves with “Nunta,” which melds heavy-toned guitar riffs and dense tom figures with shouted vocals in ritual cadence.

A1. Ciclul anotimpurilor [The Cycle of the Seasons]
 A. “Preludiu – A oilor” [The Shepherds’ Prelude] (1:05)
  – Jocul timpului [The Dance of Time] (3:20)
 B. “Primăvara” [Spring]
  – Introducere [Introduction] (1:01)
  – Păpărugă [The Rain Charm] (2:35)
 C. “Vara” [Summer] (4:20)
 D. “Toamna” [Autumn] (4:31)
 E. “Iarna” [Winter]
  – Introducere [Introduction] (1:15)
  – Jocul caprelor [The Dance of the Goats] (1:31)
A2. “Nunta” [The Wedding] (4:18)

Side two begins with the near fifteen-minute “Negru Vodă – Balada,” which alternates slow violin-led passages with mid-tempo rock stretches. Each section introduces gradual instrumental shifts: violin yields to distorted guitar, then breaks for interwoven solos between guitar, bass, and hand percussion, periodically returning to the original bowed refrain. The finale, “Pseudo Morgana,” builds from insistent strumming and slow-throttle distortion into a layered close where rolling drums and dual guitars form a sustained climax.

B1. “Negru Vodă” [Negru Vodă – A Ballad] (14:55)
B2. “Pseudo-Morgana” (6:47)

Cei ce ne-au dat nume favors density and drive over refinement, with repeated recourse to fuzzed-out bass and hard-panned rhythm guitar. Folk elements—modal vocal lines, fluiere, violin—appear less as ornament and more as integral voices within the ensemble, holding their own against the amplified backbone. Phoenix maintains tension through arrangement shifts, phrasing contrasts, and pressure from drums and hand percussion. Their lack of keyboards leaves the guitar to carry harmonic motion and textural weight, pushing the ensemble toward sharp contrasts and close clustering.

Nicolae Covaci plays lead and 12-string guitar, flute, percussion, and vocals. Mircea Baniciu sings lead and contributes acoustic and 12-string guitar. Josef Kappl plays bass, violin, percussion, and sings harmony. Drummer Costin Petrescu handles full-kit rhythms. Percussionist Valeriu Sepi adds auxiliary textures and visual design.

Recording sessions took place at Electrecord Studios in 1972. Though the original program was cut due to censorship—removing tracks such as “Vișina,” “Cei ce ne-au dat nume,” and “Cocoșii Negri”—an unreleased live recording of the full suite exists from the same year. The LP used unconventional instrumentation, including carved wooden “goats” and sound simulations of buhai and cimpoi (Romanian percussion and wind instruments), replicating ancient folk atmospheres in an electric context.

Valeriu Sepi and Lili Sepi designed the original gatefold cover, featuring a red Phoenix bird and a frieze sculpted in hardened mud by Covaci along the banks of the Timiș River. Photos of the band—solarized to obscure hair and beards—helped the artwork bypass censors. Subsequent pressings replaced the sleeve with a generic blue cover bearing only the band name. Reissues appeared on LP in 1992 and CD in 1999; a Polish edition followed in 1998.

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Meșterul Manole (EP)

Phoenix released their third EP, Meșterul Manole, in 1973 on Electrecord (45-STM-EDC 10313).

The release condensed material from a larger rock opera concept based on the Romanian legend Monastirea Argeșului. Originally envisioned as a staged work with actors, choruses, costumes, and set designs, the full production was blocked by Communist authorities, who suppressed its scenario and lyrics.

Phoenix salvaged three Nicolae Covaci original from the project, combining one excerpt from the titular suite with two standalone songs composed during the group’s late beat phase. The resulting maxi-single marked a stylistic pivot from seasonal folk adaptation (Cei ce ne-au dat nume) to mythic narrative abstraction, with greater emphasis on composition and vocal expression.

A1. “Mamă, mamă” [Mother, Mother]
A2. “Te întreb pe tine, soare…” [I Ask You, Sun…]
B1. “Meșterul Manole, uvertură” [Master Manole, Overture]

Lyricist Victor Cârcu authored the texts for A1 and A2, while B1 adapts verses from the traditional ballad Monastirea Argeșului, erroneously credited to Cârcu on the label.

Mircea Baniciu sings lead and plays tambourine, harmonized by Covaci and bassist Josef Kappl, who also plays recorder and violin. Drummer Costin Petrescu and percussionist Valeriu Sepi complete the core lineup. Liviu Butoi appears as guest on oboe during the “Meșterul Manole” overture.

Sessions took place in 1973 at Electrecord Studios. “Mamă, mamă” reworks a beat-era composition once sung by Moni Bordeianu; the studio version omits earlier vocal nuances. “Te întreb pe tine, soare…” was censored by the removal of an entire closing stanza. “Meșterul Manole” combines folk modality with structured rhythmic contrasts and features oboe, recorder, and multitracked percussion layered under a lamenting melodic theme. The overture was intended as a gateway into a full-length opera, but no further parts were allowed to reach release stage.

The original Meșterul Manole opera manuscript, including costume sketches by Valeriu Sepi, resurfaced in 2007 and was published in Germany with an introduction by Cârcu. The three recorded songs were later compiled on Vremuri, anii 60… (1998) and included in multiple reissues.

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Mugur de Fluier

Phoenix released their second album, Mugur de Fluier, in March 1974 on Electrecord (STM-EDE 0968).

The album expanded the group’s approach to integrating regional folk into electrified composition, following the precedent set by Cei ce ne-au dat nume. The material developed out of the stage performance Introducere la un concert despre muzica veche la români, presented live in November 1973 alongside Sfinx.

Phoenix filtered a broader palette of traditional influences—Balkan, Roma, Central-European, and even Celtic—into a deliberately stylized song cycle. Compared to the preceding album, Mugur de fluier emphasized original compositions with archaic rhythmic structures and narrative forms. Lyrical duties were split between returning collaborator Victor Cârcu and the duo of Șerban Foarță and Andrei Ujică, whose surreal and satirical poetic input gave the album a mythic-literary texture.

Mugur de fluier scales back the raw electric force of Phoenix’s debut and replaces it with steadier, texturally layered arrangements where flute, violin, and acoustic guitar carry equal weight to drums and distortion. The five “Lasă, lasă” interludes, each faster than the last, punctuate the album’s arc with short rhythmic bursts that gradually accelerate from measured chant to sharp sprint. “Pavel Chinezu” builds from tom-heavy accents into rolling electric lines that echo martial fanfare, then subside beneath modal refrains sung in clipped, declarative phrases. “Strunga” layers flute and vocal in an extended slow ascent, then resolves into staggered phrasing and rising vocal lines that grow insistently over each repeat. “Andrii Popa” opens on clean acoustic strumming, but pivots midway to double-time electric drive and tandem vocals that follow an upward-pushed cadence.

“Mica țiganiadă” shifts across tempi and tone, beginning with plaintive guitar and somber harmony, then erupting as violin cuts across the mix with sharp accents and asymmetric phrasing. “Ochii negri, ochi de țigan” moves with mid-paced restraint, shaped by hand percussion and voice in a chantlike meter. The title track centers around the pipe’s bright tone, paired with stepped bass motion and flexible percussion that bend between sections without collapsing momentum. “Anule, hanule” leans into weightier pacing, anchoring an incantatory vocal with slower strokes and lowered tones. The closer, “Dansul codrilor,” compresses hard-rock riffing into a dense, riff-based cadence, where guitar and bass move in doubled sequences above staggered rhythmic breaks.

A1. “Lasă, lasă nr. 1” [Let It Go No. 1] (1:30)
A2. “Pavel Chinezu, leat 1479” [Pavel Chinezu, the Year 1479] (6:13)
A3. “Strunga” [The Pass] (7:23)
A4. “Andrii Popa” (3:13)
A5. “Lasă, lasă nr. 2” [Let It Go No. 2] (0:35)
A6. “Mica țiganiadă” [The Little Gypsiad] (3:32)

B1. “Lasă, lasă nr. 3” [Let It Go No. 3] (1:00)
B2. “Ochii negri, ochi de țigan” [Black Eyes, Gypsy Eyes] (3:25)
B3. “Muzică și muzichiie” [Music and Musics] (2:09)
B4. “Mugur de fluier” [Flute Bud] (3:58)
B5. “Lasă, lasă nr. 4” [Let It Go No. 4] (0:41)
B6. “Anule, hanule” [Oh Year, Oh Inn] (5:18)
B7. “Lasă, lasă nr. 5” [Let It Go No. 5] (0:36)
B8. “Dansul codrilor” [Dance of the Forests] (6:23)

Rather than split into a suite, the album proceeds as a continuous hybrid where vocal chants, folk instrumentation, and electric rock forms collide, yielding passages where intensity rises not through volume but through layering, repetition, and sharp internal contrast. Every instrumental voice serves a deliberate role in shaping rhythm and texture, especially in the way flute, celesta, and violin intersect with or replace lead guitar lines.

Covaci composed everything apart from one Baniciu contribution (“Andrii Popa”) and two by Kappl, “Muzică și muzichiie”  and “Dansul codrilor.” Foarță and Ujică authored lyrics for seven tracks, Cârcu for three, and Alecsandri for two texts mislabeled on the original sleeve as anonymous folk. Some sections were censored, including verses between “Lasă, lasă nr. 2” and “nr. 3,” and satirical references to Romanian literary characters.

Covaci leads on solo guitar, 12-string, vocals, and percussion. Baniciu sings lead and adds acoustic guitar and hand percussion. Kappl plays bass, violin, recorder, bells, and backing vocals. Petrescu handles drums, cimbalom, and assorted percussion. Sepi adds folkloric percussion. Günther Reininger appears on celesta, bells, and extra percussion.

Sessions took place in 1974 at Electrecord Studios and were completed in 24 hours. The band emphasized arhaic balance patterns and used traditional acoustic elements (recorder, violin, cimbalom, celesta, bells) alongside electric instruments. The narrative suite was meant as a bridge between ancient Romanian motifs and a modern conceptual arc. Although the original program excluded “Andrii Popa,” the song was added for the LP. One additional track, “Prima zi când te-am văzut” (Kappl), was withheld by the band for thematic inconsistency.

Valeriu and Lili Sepi designed the cover, which featured a 1933 photograph by Kurt Hielscher. The 1992 reissue used a simplified sleeve; the 1999 CD edition restored the full tracklist. Mugur de fluier marked the band’s compositional peak in blending Romanian lyrical heritage with structured, text-driven songwriting.

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Cantofabule

Phoenix released their third studio album, Cantofabule, in November 1975 as a double LP on Electrecord (STM-EDE 01115 / 01116), the first of its kind by a Romanian rock group.

The album title, misprinted on original pressings as Cantofabule, was intended as Cantafabule (“sung fables”). Structured as a symbolic bestiary, the album draws on the 14th-century tradition of fantastical animal lore, reimagined as a metaphysical journey. Lyrics by Șerban Foarță and Andrei Ujică evoke mythical archetypes in a ritualistic procession of beasts, each track invoking creatures that represent good, evil, transformation, or rebirth.

The suite culminates in the allegorical battle “Zoomahia” and resolves in the title track “Phoenix,” a hymn of renewal. The band composed the material across 1974 and refined it during a winter residency at a Semenic mountain lodge. Drummer Costin Petrescu tracked initial sessions but was replaced mid-process by Ovidiu Lipan Țăndărică. Covaci and Kappl co-authored the bulk of the music; Günther Reininger and Baniciu contributed to select pieces.

Cantofabule unfolds as a ritual cycle, its two discs shifting between invocation, transformation, and resolution across a progression of hybrid forms. The opener “Invocație” layers distorted bass pulses with dissonant synth textures and spoken refrains, shifting between incantatory chants, celesta interludes, and surging ensemble breaks driven by fuzz guitar and drum outbursts. Later reprises of its motifs give the suite structural weight, culminating in the closer “Phoenix,” where the same harmonic phrasing returns with softened cadence and unified choral resolution. Interspersed throughout are symbolic vignettes: “Norocul inorogului” drifts on layered vocal harmonies and fluid woodwinds; “Scara scarabeului” cuts sharply with a clipped 60s-style strum and vocal bounce.

Electric passages alternate with chamber-like intros and transitional setpieces. “Pasărea calandrinon” opens on brittle piano chords before pivoting into layered rhythm-guitar bursts and descending vocal refrains, ending with violin and piano in asymmetrical tandem. “Delfinul, dulce dulful nostru” and “Ucideria balaurului” pair thick rhythm guitar with synthesizer flares and modal soloing, turning tightly coiled riffs into surging improvisational breaks. “Vasiliscul și Aspida” follows its flute-led opening with sudden shifts: muffled vocal interjections, jagged electric stabs, and syncopated choral lines alternate with abrupt dropouts and folk-styled unison chants.

Experimental passages stretch at the suite’s peripheries. “Zoomahia” opens on layered noise textures and pulsing synth patterns, gradually assembled into a loose rhythm framework with phased vocals and wandering instrumental lines. “Pasărea Roc…k and Roll” veers into deliberately overdriven territory, pairing jagged synth alarms with shouted interjections and riff-based choruses that eventually collapse into repetition. In contrast, “Cîntic-lu a cucuveauă-liei” anchors the second disc with its quiet marimba-like opening, leading into gently rising ensemble interplay marked by backwards guitar layers and clean bass ostinati.

A1. “Invocație” [Invocation] (10:30)
A2. “Norocul inorogului” [The Luck of the Unicorn] (3:25)
A3. “Scara scarabeului” [The Scarab’s Ladder] (2:25)

B1. “Delfinul, dulce dulful nostru” [The Dolphin, Our Sweet Delf] (5:55)
B2. “Uciderea balaurului” [The Slaying of the Dragon] (4:40)
B3. “Știma casei” [The Spirit of the House] (3:30)
B4. “Pasărea calandrinon” [The Calandrinon Bird] (6:00)

C1. “Filip și cerbul” [Philip and the Stag] (4:40)
C2. “Vasiliscul și Aspida” [The Basilisk and the Asp] (4:00)
C3. “Sirena” [The Siren] (3:50)
C4. “Pasărea Roc…k and Roll” [The Roc(k) Bird] (5:40)

D1. “Cîntic-lu a cucuveauă-liei” [The Song of the Owl-Woman] (7:20)
D2. “Zoomahia” [The Beast War] (6:16)
D3. “Phoenix” (3:10)

Each track evokes its mythic creature through contrast—slow-lurch processions, sudden accelerations, shifting voicings—and uses sonic shape as metaphor. The album’s strength lies in how it suspends between timbral registers: synth and flute, folk and fuzz, ceremonial and chaotic. Every transition feels deliberate, every rupture part of a larger cyclical design.

Covaci composed seven tracks (A1–A3, B1, B3, D1, D3), with Kappl responsible for six (A1, B2, B4, C1–C4, D2). Reininger co-composed “Zoomahia” (D2) with Kappl. Baniciu contributed to “Invocație.” Lyrics were officially credited to Foarță and Ujică, though “Norocul inorogului” incorporates texts by Philippe de Thaon, “Cîntic-lu a cucuveauă-liei” adapts Aromanian folk text, and “Zoomahia” was written solely by Foarță.

Covaci plays lead and 12-string guitar, blockflöte, and vocals. Kappl handles bass, violin, recorder, and backing vocals. Baniciu sings lead and plays acoustic guitar. Reininger contributes piano, electric piano, celesta, organ, and synthesizer. Lipan performs on drums, timpani, bongos, gong, tambourine, and bells. Florian Pittiș delivers the spoken prologue on “Invocație.”

Sessions took place at Electrecord Studios in 1975. Phoenix premiered the material in semi-clandestine concerts titled Însă eu…, incorporating masks, hand-built stage elements, and animal-themed costumes. Each member portrayed a symbolic beast—Baniciu as the unicorn, Covaci as the aurochs, Lipan as the dragon. Wooden goat props by Valeriu Sepi and student volunteers substituted the banned Brănești percussion troupe in later stagings.

The gatefold, designed again by Lili and Valeriu Sepi, was censored: the intended interior art appeared as the cover. Poetic liner notes by Adrian Păunescu were removed from the 1992 reissue, which retained the misspelled title. A bootleg Belgian version circulated in 1993. The definitive CD release, under the correct title Cantafabule, appeared in 2008 on Phoenix Records.

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Late 1970s Developments and Challenges

Following their defection from Romania, Phoenix entered a tumultuous phase marked by exile, stylistic realignment, and internal division. After covertly crossing the border into Austria—hiding band members in the back of a truck and navigating a 30-hour standoff at the frontier—the group reassembled in West Germany. Early rumors in Romania suggested they had been eliminated by the Securitate, only dispelled once Radio Free Europe confirmed their safe arrival.

Initially, the band struggled with financial hardship and instability. Nicolae Covaci supported the group from savings, but once depleted, members took temporary jobs or drifted to other bands. A short-lived revival occurred when former vocalist Moni Bordeianu rejoined from the United States. He resumed frontman duties during a string of underpaid performances, during which Phoenix attempted to rework earlier material for a western audience—first in Romanian, then in English. This period yielded new songs such as “Winter,” “Music and Muzak,” “Rock and Roll Bird,” “Wedding,” and “Gipsy Story.”

Meanwhile, guitarist Erlend Krauser and bassist Josef Kappl began crafting original material with a modern, international sound. Tracks like “Alaska,” “Get Around,” and “Brontozaur dat cu aur” represented a break from Covaci’s continued emphasis on Romanian-language folk-rock. Creative tensions mounted as Covaci resisted suggestions to adopt English lyrics and contemporary styles. A planned album titled Zgâriați-vă pe ochi (“Scratch Your Eyes Out”) was prepared with tracks such as “Alaska,” “Zicala dobei,” “Winter,” and “Sunset,” but record labels, though impressed by the music, declined to back the project—insisting on hit-oriented content, which Covaci refused to provide.

Internal conflicts escalated during studio rehearsals. According to Baniciu, Bordeianu’s vocal limitations became apparent in this new context, and he was quietly dismissed. Krauser’s temperament also proved difficult. The final fracture occurred during a heated argument between Covaci and Kappl, bringing the group to a halt. Kappl, Krauser, and drummer Ovidiu Lipan soon formed a new band, Madhouse. Phoenix, as originally constituted, entered a prolonged hiatus.

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Madhouse

Madhouse formed in West German in 1978 by three-fifths of Phoenix — bassist Josef Kappl, guitarist Erlend Krauser, and drummer Ovidiu Lipan Țăndărică —  split from Nicolae Covaci over stylistic conflicts. The trio agreeed to an English-language, Westernized sound, breaking from Covaci’s Romanian-language ethno-rock approach.

In 1979, Madhouse released their only studio album, From the East, on Antagon Musik GmbH (ALP 3232). The album, recorded between October 1978 and April 1979, featured ten English-language tracks composed primarily by Kappl and Krauser. Lyrically, most songs were written by Krauser, with select contributions from Hans Bonneval and Moni Bordeianu (credited as B. Florinel), who also acted as the band’s manager.

A1. “I Go Crazy” (3:51)
A2. “Girl” (3:57)
A3. “Madhouse” (4:58)
A4. “Running Wild” (3:50)
A5. “…to the West” (4:03)

B1. “Goin’ Back to the Country” (3:01)
B2. “Mr. Pumble” (3:15)
B3. “Dwarfs Pillbox” (3:50)
B4. “King Lear” (5:04)
B5. “Leaving in the Morning” (2:02)

Several tracks reinterpreted older Phoenix material: “King Lear” reworked “Dansul codrilor,” and “Leaving in the Morning” drew from “Cocoșii negri,” both now set to new English lyrics. Themes and motifs from Cantofabule compositions such as “Uciderea balaurului,” “Cîntic-lu a cucuveauă-liei,” and “Vasiliscul și Aspida” also resurfaced in modified form, alongside remnants of Krauser’s unreleased “Brontozaur dat cu aur.” Each band member adopted a pseudonym for the project: Lipan became “von Barbier,” Kappl signed as “Yussuv,” and Krauser used “Goldstein.”

From the East combined Balkan-influenced harmonic ideas with dynamic arrangements typical of western progressive and hard rock, producing what the liner notes described as a hybrid “melodic and energetic rock with a fantastic edge.” Despite positive reception from producers and some critical attention—including a 1980 feature in New Musical Express—the album failed to gain significant traction in the competitive West German market.

A second album, Giacca de Blue, was recorded but never released. By 1980, Madhouse dissolved. Kappl and Krauser joined the band Lake, while Lipan returned to Phoenix. The project’s brief lifespan reflected the cultural and commercial challenges faced by Eastern European exiles attempting to navigate Western industry expectations while retaining their musical identity.

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Empire of Vampires

Empire of Vampires was an ambitious rock opera project developed by Nicolae Covaci and his post-exile band Transsylvania Phoenix in West Germany in 1980. Initially conceived with violinist Mani Neumann and later joined by Josef Kappl, the work explored the legend of Vlad Țepeș as an allegorical framework for examining fanaticism, power, and spiritual decay in modern Europe. Covaci described the opera not as a historical retelling but as a psychological interpretation—Vlad as a tormented figure who sells his soul to escape imprisonment, only to resurface in contemporary Berlin as a spectral antihero.

The narrative featured three main characters and traversed time periods, beginning in a subway car overtaken by vandals before shifting into a medieval setting. The return of Dracula in a modern Turkish bar symbolized Europe’s haunted legacy and the persistence of destructive ideologies. Musically, the opera aimed to merge rock, narrative, and imagery into a multimedia experience. Covaci envisioned it as a “music-horror-picture-show” well before the project could take theatrical form.

Songs tied to the Empire of Vampires cycle include “Empire of Vampires,” “Running,” “I Need a Friend,” and “City of Angels.” Although the opera was never staged in full, fragments of it surfaced over the years: “Empire of Vampires” appeared on the 1987 HörFest Vol. 5 sampler, “Running” was later issued on Aniversare 35 (1997) and SymPhoenix/Timișoara (1992), and the two unreleased tracks were reworked for Baba Novak (2005) as “Singur” and “Apocalipsă.”

Efforts to adapt the project into a feature film stalled after Covaci sold the screenplay to producer Adrian Popovici under misleading terms. The result, Vlad Nemuritorul (2002), deviated radically from the original concept, prompting Covaci to disown the adaptation. Original demos from 1980, including “Empire of Vampires,” “Running,” and “I Need a Friend,” were officially released in 2019 on The 80s, a compilation of archival recordings.

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Transsylvania Phoenix

Phoenix released their first Western album under the name Transsylvania Phoenix in 1981 on the German Bacillus label. They altered their name to avoid confusion with the English band Phoenix, a recent Argent spinoff. Titled Transsylvania, the album marked their first full-length recording since Cantofabule (1975) and their debut vinyl release recorded abroad after defecting from Romania.

The album showcased a streamlined quartet: Nicolae Covaci (guitar, vocals), Mani Neumann (violin, harmony vocals), Tom Buggie (bass), and Ovidiu Lipan Țăndărică (drums). Special guests included Ivan Kopilović on backing vocals and Sabin Dumbrăveanu on cello. This was the group’s first documented use of electric violin and electronic drums, and the album’s lyrical content appeared entirely in English.

Two songs, “Gypsy Storie” and “Wedding,” reworked the Romanian-language tracks “Mica Țiganiadă” and “Nunta,” respectively. These had previously been planned—alongside “Winter” and “Music and Muzak”—for an unreleased maxi-single by the pre-1979 lineup.

Covaci composed all music with lyrical contributions from Buggie, Rolf Möntmann, John Kirkbride, and Bordeianu (uncredited). The sleeve incorrectly listed “Stars Dance” as “Star Dance” and omitted Möntmann’s co-lyricist credit.

A1. “Gypsy Storie” (4:35) — Möntmann, Buggie
A2. “Wanting” ( 5:28) — Buggie
A3. “Would You Follow Me…?” (5:17) — Kirkbride
A4. “Tamara” (5:54) — Möntmann

B1. “Feel the Sound” (4:59) — Buggie
B2. “Stars Dance” (4:28) — Möntmann
B3. “Wedding” (3:41) — Buggie

Transsylvania Phoenix recorded the album for Bellaphon’s Bacillus imprint. Its 5,000-copy pressing sold out quickly, but the label declined to repress it, citing commercial hesitancy around promoting Eastern European folk-rock fusion. Reviews, such as in Musikmarkt, praised the group’s synthesis of Eastern European motifs with modern instrumentation, noting the band’s unique use of violin and cello textures to transcend conventional rock structures.

Transsylvania was remastered and reissued in 2019 on the archival compilation The 80s, which restored the band’s early ’80s studio recordings to full fidelity.