AFTER CRYING 1989

In a creative orgasm the original After Crying trio was expanded to a quartet with the addition of Katalin Szerb on violin and vocals for what was to become the second cassette release of the group, simply entitled ''1989''.Moreover quite a few guest musicians appear on this album, which was eventually re-released on Periferic Records in 2009 in CD format: Csaba Hontvari on trumpet, Pal Makovecz on trombone, David Vesztergombi on vocals, Kristof Fogolyan on flute and Zsolt Maroevich on viola.

Once more After Crying proove how unique they were, delivering an original sound somewhere between Symphonic and Chamber Rock, which was quite hard to digest, but certainly having an unmet charm.Beautiful flute lines, Classical-inspired piano preludes and interludes and huge string sections combine for some music that goes from the complex forms of Bartok's Classical Music to the Classical Rock of E.L.P. and the sweet melancholy of GENESIS.The female and some male vocals have often an operatic nature, exploring choir-like paths, while there are also some spoken parts throughout the album.Moreover their approach ranges from pleasant vocal-driven parts to very sinister textures with almost frightening string lines and haunting piano themes.They tend to be the masters of atmospheres, comfortably switching from delicate themes with harmonic and melodic ideas based on flute and piano to dissonant passages with wind and string instruments leading the way.Best cut of the album is propably ''Hajo'', an 8-min. beautiful trip into the world of Classical/Symphonic Rock with tremendous flute parts, melancholic strings, excellent female choirs and some lovely piano lines.

The fact that the band is lacking a bassist, guitarist and drummer makes their style even more fascinating and impressive, as it is still a welcome addition even for Prog fans.Again, this is no music for the masses, this is high-tech Chamber Rock with emphasis on Classical-inspired arrangements and above average orchestrations.Warmly recommended.