Dragon

Dragon is a cornerstone of the Polish extreme metal scene, formed in 1984 in Katowice. Alongside acts like Kat, Turbo, and Vader, they were instrumental in defining the sound of Eastern European metal during the late Soviet era.

Their early work is characterized by high-speed thrash and speed metal, but by the late 1980s, particularly with the release of 'Horde of Gog', they began incorporating the technicality and aggression of the emerging death metal genre. This evolution mirrored the global shift in extreme music but retained a specific Polish character: dark, brooding, and technically demanding. Despite several hiatuses and lineup changes, including the tragic loss of members over the decades, their influence persists among crate-diggers of the global underground. Critical consensus views them as a 'bridge' band that helped transition the Polish scene from heavy metal traditionalism into the world-renowned death metal powerhouse it became in the 1990s.