OVERGROUND MUSIC

It’s always a risk to delve into the back catalog of a band that you’ve discovered long after they began recording, but that’s what happened for me in the case of After Crying. I’m pretty sure ‘De Profundis’ was the first thing I heard from these guys, and that was courtesy of one of my kids. I found them to be instantly likeable and have enjoyed them ever since, although the infrequency of their releases has been a disappointment.

I guess it was because of this lack of new material that eventually their earlier works caught my eye. This one in particular was a no-brainer, as I always want to find out what a band started out to be since it helps to explain how they evolved the way they did. In the case of After Crying, the progression is remarkably transparent as one works their way chronologically through each of the band’s albums. This first one has much of the classical, almost chamber-like style of their later work, but it is also marked at times with just a bit of inconsistency, which is not at all surprising for a debut. Also, the English vocals really detract from the overall experience, and while they don’t ruin the album at all for me, I can see where some would be put off by this. Otherwise this is a top-quality offering from a group of consummate musicians, and a completely enjoyable piece of art to experience.

This is the only Hungarian music I have, and I suspect it isn’t indicative of the more common styles in that part of the world. These guys are almost definitely classically- trained, but they also have been strongly influenced by Zappa, probably the earlier British symphonic masters, maybe a little jazz, and possibly even a bit by Canterbury music. It’s a fantastic blend of sounds that doesn’t get old even after several dozen plays.

If I had to rate the album solely on the first track I would give it four stars, maybe even five. The band’s first impression is a strong and positive one, opening with a bevy of classic sounds via cello, viola, bassoon, oboe, and of course the elegant Vedras piano. This may be a tribute to Zappa, but the strong chamber tenor blends avant-garde and classical music in a way that would have caught both Fripp and Gabriel’s ears ‘back in the day’. Beautiful stuff.

But like I said this album is a bit uneven, and the Kermit the Frog-like vocals that open “Don't Betray Me” are quite a mood shift. The piano is again dominant, and the trombone is a nice touch that gives this a somber but not depressing tone. Overall I would say this is a good composition that would have been great without the vocals.

The vocals improve a bit on “Confess Your Beauty” since this has more of a theatrical feel to it so the accent is more complimentary, but this is the one track where the weak production is most apparent. The band definitely figured out the whole studio thing by the time the decade had run out, but they are still figuring it out on this one.

The whole “Madrigal Love” sequence is the highlight of the album, but again the vocals are a bit of a distraction. Can you imagine Fish fronting this band? Or even better, Alan Parsons Project’s Eric Woolfson. That would have been something. Regardless, the orchestral instrumentation is nearly flawless, most notably the flute and oboe progressions.

The band closes with a preview of things to come on the ten-minute plus “Shining (...to the Powers of Fairyland)”, a lengthy and sometimes complex chamber piece with beautiful female vocals. The trombone here is a bit out-of-place, but overall this is a bit closer to the sound of the next several albums and a great upbeat closer to a very decent debut.

I don’t think I’ve heard anything from these guys that I didn’t like, but this is not their strongest effort by any means. Still, the music breathes new life into the symphonic rock style at a time when it was in serious decline, and the album’s title coming on the heels of the fall of communism in Hungary is inspiring and uplifting. This is an album that any serious symphonic rock fan should have in their collection, and it easily stands on its own as a solid four star effort. Highly recommended, as is everything I’ve heard from this band.

peace