LIVE

Halfway the Nineties I had my first musical encounter with the unique Hungarian formation After Crying when I got their album De Profundis as a promo CD while working for Dutch progrock paper Background Magazine. To me it still sounds as their most captivating progrock effort since their debut album Overground Music from 1990. A few years ago I witnessed a concert in The Netherlands (only 60 spectators, what a shame!), the lion's share of the tracklist con be found back on this exciting live DVD, taken from a Periferic Music Festival in the Hungarian capital Budapest, late 2004.

After Crying their sound is not very accessible, you have to be up to the blend of classical, prog like Seventies King Crimson and ELP and the frequent explorations in avant-garde and experimental, often captivating but also often complex! The band succeeds to make impression from the very first second: excellent and versatile musicians and varied and captivating compositions, supported by a wonderful light show and a great sound. A few examples of their exciting and alternating music: fiery guitar, Emersonian keyboards and trumpet in Viaduct, a swirling and virtuosic piece feautring two musicians on one keyboard in Burlesque, a dynamic solo on cello in Stonehenge, a Latin-American atmosphere delivering keyboards, trumpet and strong soli on keyboards and guitar in the swinging Life Must Go On, a great duel between cello and guitar in Cello-Guitar Duet, followed by short compositions that contain soli on piano, drums and trumpet. At least half of the track list features the pleasant Hungarian voice of Zoltan Batky-Valentin (via the menu you can subtitle it into English), his vocals fits perfect to the sound of After Crying.

Again, this is not very easy music to experience (for me sometimes a bit too avant-garde and experimental) but in general I was carried away by this After Crying live performance!