After Crying

After Crying - AC XXV - Anniversary Concert (2013) {2CD with DVD5 PAL Periferic BGDV 221}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 835 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 312 Mb
DVD5 -> 3.89 Gb | All Regions | PAL 16:9 | LinearPCM, 2 ch | ~ 93 min | ISO Image
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 163 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2013 Periferic Records | BGDV 221
Rock / Prog Rock / Symphonic Rock

After Crying is one of the most exciting group of the international music scene. After many concerts around the world, they have celebrated their 25th birthday and the release of their 14th album with a special anniversary concert in the Palace of Arts in Budapest. The ensemble has been consciously forming its values since the beginning, regarding the greatest figures of European culture as their role models. The composers of After Crying have always sought to create music that, by using today's common musical idiom, is understood by many, yet is still able to convey profound message on serious subjects at the highest artistic standard. This unique contemporary classical music addresses both the audiences of its own age and eternity.

Very important band from the rich Hungarian prog scene which makes a very complex and moody music. There is a huge variety in their music among their discography. Some albums are very dark, yet beautiful, with a calm atmosphere provided by cellos and violins among moody keyboards and guitars. Other albums hold a more consistent sound where you'll find ELP influences (mainly on the Hammond passages).Really original! This is classical chamber rock, delicate and peaceful. Definitely a must in any prog rock collection.

In the mid-Nineties I discovered the incredible progrock from the Hungarian formation After Crying. This 2-CD set is a very comprehensive musical compilation of their best work and their stunning skills on a wide range of instruments. You can compare After Crying with Gentle Giant concerning the complexity of the music and versatility of every musician. The sound of their music has elements from ELP (bombastic keyboards) and King Crimson (Fripperian guitar) but in general it's a unique blend of classical, jazz, rock, symphonic and avant-garde: a combination of Keith Emerson keyboards, trumpet, fiery electric guitar in "Viadukt", soaring keyboards, repetetive guitarplay and powerful drumbeats in "Stalker", howling electric guitar, a wailing cello and powerful trumpet in "Suburban night", piano, cello and contrabas in the Gentle Giant sounding "Goblin dance", sensitive Fripperian guitar (like Edhels) in "Pilgrim's march" and a superb rendition of King Crimson's classic piece "Starless", goose bumps! After Crying doesn't make very accesible progrock because the combination of classical instruments (please, take a look at the track listing) and modern electric equipment and the variety of styles begs for an adventurous taste and most progheads are very conservative…

Hungary's After Crying delivered their second album in 1992, a couple of years after their debut. From a prog perspective, the positioning of a 22 minute suite A Gadarai Megszállott right up front offers the hope of a damn good listen. A quick check of the line up on the other hand suggests a degree of caution. Completely absent are guitars of any kind; instead we have a quasi-classical assembly, with oboe, cello, flute and brass featuring strongly.
The aforementioned suite, as it turns out, is a sort of modern classical piece apparently based around various improvisations on themes. When the vocals are eventually added, they sound to my untrained ear to be of the type common on Italian Symphonic Prog albums. The language may be Hungarian, but the atmosphere is universal. It is perhaps these vocals which differentiate the piece from simply being classified as a modern classical suite, but surprisingly they do not sound out of context. Around the mid- point of the track, the brass section suddenly makes its presence felt with a brief but rousing burst of jazz rock.
Of the remaining four tracks three are brief, almost interlude, pieces. They are pretty, but of little real consequence. The other track of note is the 11 minute Megalázottak És Megszomorítottak. There is more of a rock orientation to this piece, with occasional hints of ELP when the pace is lifted. Overall though, the atmosphere is less structured than the works of ELP, hinting more towards 1980's King Crimson.
Overall, the album is paradoxically difficult to get into but easy to listen to. Superficially, the sounds are easy on the ear and pleasant, but the improvisational style of composition means that there is little to grasp onto and retain. Certainly worth a listen or three.

Very important band from the rich Hungarian prog scene which makes a very complex and moody music. There is a huge variety in their music among their discography. Some albums are very dark, yet beautiful, with a calm atmosphere provided by cellos and violins among moody keyboards and guitars. Other albums hold a more consistent sound where you'll find ELP influences (mainly on the Hammond passages). Definitely a must in any prog rock collection.

Very important band from the rich Hungarian prog scene which makes a very complex and moody music. Struggle For Life is progressive rock at its’ very best. While in some ways similar to King Crimson (the one cover is of “Starless” which features guest John Wetton on bass and vocals), they are much more diverse than that. Songs veer from the very short to the very long, from the simple to the incredibly intricate. It is not an album to be played in the background, but rather one that demands total attention and if the listener is prepared to give the time then they will be much rewarded. Recommended.