SENKI MADARA

Just discovered YESTERDAYS a few weeks ago. There's something original about this group with changing lineups, but with constant quality of ideas, concepts and music of course. I often say that Eastern Europe has a lot to offer to symphonic proggers, and YESTERDAYS is here to prove me right.

Senki madara (which means Noone's Bird) is their fresh release and yet probably their best. It might sound as a cliche, but it has strong YES and GENESIS influences, but in the same time they are totally different, not just some neoprog version of these bands. Yes, it's an Eastern European thing.

The album It happens to be based around some 2-3 hundred years old Hungarian folk songs, this already provides more depth to the whole CD, The arrangements in other hand are very complex, filled with SYMPHONIC PROG moments from the quietest ones to the loudest in every level between. The instrumentation shows that they take GENTLE GIANT, GENESIS and YES for breakfast but with an original taste.

If you are a big fan of mellotron sounds, this album is for you too. Choirs, flutes, mixed strings, brass sounds can be found everywhere, mixed with a real string quartet, beautiful flute virtuoso lines (Kecskemeti Gabor is amazing), rich guitars by Bogati-Bokor Akos and with the most natural drum sound I've heard in the last decade!

I need to write about the lead voices on this album, because the female leads and the rich backing vocals seems to be YESTERDAYS' main weapon. On "Senki madara" the main lead singer is Semeniuc Stephanie. Such a unique voice, such power and yet so much beauty in the quiet parts. Stephanie has an alto voice but she is very confident also in the higher parts. Not a shiny voice, but it has a color that is very original and beautiful. She really gives an extra to this release. The more you listen to her, the more you love her. Szirtes Edina Mokus is the second lead singer (present on two tracks: "Ne mondd el" and "Ugy bocsass el". As I found, she's a well known Hungarian session musician, violinist, vocalist from the fields of world music and jazz. She sings the most fragile and yet most breathtaking songs on this album. Tarsoly Csenge takes the lead on "Hajnalcsillag", well, she is like a female JON ANDERSON (can I say something like this?), a perfect choice for a Symphonic Prog delight. She is a soprano with a shiny high voice full of emotion.

The backing vocals are just amazing, polyphonic arrangements in every song!

Last but not least a few words about the sound of this album: wow! Natural mixing and mastering, clear, transparent sound maybe the best I've heard in years. BOB KATZ would be proud that he's got some talented followers fighting and winning the loudness war.

I think I found one of my favorite prog album of 2018 in Senki madara. I can't believe I haven't came across with YESTERDAYS sooner, they deserve more attention. Lovely music, it's a nice addition to any prog collection. It's so tempting to give 5 stars to this album, but since it's only their 3rd record, I am waiting for their true masterpiece.