01	Bevezetes						03:39
	02	Modern Idok						07:37
	03	Az Ustokos						01:42
	04	Stalker						12:12
	05	Stonehenge						04:33
	06	Kulvarosi Ej						03:34
	07	Manok Tanca						04:59
	08	Kifulladasig						05:15
	09	De Profundis						11:31
	10	Jonas Imaja						02:25
	11	Elveszett Varos						01:55
	12	Kisvasut						02:03
	13	Eskuszegok						08:13
	14	40 Masodperc						00:41
	15	A Vilag Vegen						03:37

De profundis
Periferic (BG CD 005)
Hungary 1994

Vedres Csaba, piano;
Pejtsik Peter, cello, synths, bass;
Winkler Balazs, trumpet, synths;
Gacs Laszlo, drums;
Egervari Gabor, flute;
Torma Ferenc, guitar;
(liner notes in Hungarian - musicians info based on guesswork)

Tracklist:
1. Bevezetes - 3:39
2. Modern idok - 7:37
3. Az ustokos - 1:42
4. Stalker - 12:12
5. Stonehenge - 4:33
6. Kulvarosi ej - 3:34
7. Manok tanca - 4:59
8. Kifulladasig - 5:15
9. De profundis - 11:31
10. Jonas imaja - 2:25
11. Elveszett varos - 1:55
12. Kisvasut - 2:03
13. Eskuszegok - 8:13
14. 40 masodperc - 0:41
15. A vilag vegen - 3:37

total time 73:56


sean

The fourth studio album from After Crying is a concept album entitled De Profundis, reputedly about a dying gangster looking back at his life. It is also a realization of the symphonic sound that was formulating in the second half of Fold es eg.
The music is typical enough After Crying, with a mix of the styles from previous albums. There are some chamber-ish parts, a bit of Emersonian piano ("Az ustokos"), some full-blown symphonic prog rock, and on one song, "Modern Idok", there are even some spoken word/rap-style vocals. "Stalker" introduces some Crimsonic elements, with periodic outbursts similar to "Larks Tongues in Aspic Part 2" or "Fracture". Personal highlights of the album would have to include the more traditionally symphonic title track, as well as "Eskuszegok", an impressive bolero-like fanfare.

This is another winner from After Crying, and possibly a more cohesive effort than Fold es eg. The subtleties and variety of styles might cause it to be less immediately accessible, but it is worth the effort to explore.


brandon

This album took some time to grow on me, but it dominates my CD player even months after I've acquired it. After Crying plays a sort of chamber-rock-ensemble style, kind of like Isildurs Bane, but with more emphasis on the acoustic instrumentation, and with a much more solemn mood. The music ranges from grand, sweeping, movie-soundtrack symphonic (such as the opening of "Modern Idok") to medieval vocal work to entirely acoustic instrumental solos and duos. Some of the solos I find a bit tiring, but most of the album is quite wonderful. The vocal work is excellent, although I can't say that the spoken words do much for me ("Modern Idok" and "Stalker" have sections in which the instruments fade into the background and in the foreground is a voice speaking in Hungarian; though these sections do help create the overall somber mood, I find my attention wandering when they come on). Overall the music is brooding but not exactly dark - there are plenty of upbeat moments, but the mood in general is somber, almost religiously so. I personally like this - although those looking for lighthearted music will find plenty to like here too. Highly recommended, this, and one of the few 70+ minute albums I can actually listen to in one sitting.




After Crying
(see also: Townscream)


| Discography
Overground Music (1990)
Megalazottak es Megszomoritottak (1992)
Fold es eg (1994)
De Profundis (1996)
Elso evtized (1996)
6 (1997)
Almost Pure Instrumental (1998)
Live Struggle for Life (1999)
Bootleg Symphony (2001)


Country of origin: Hungary
Established: 1986
Styles: Symphonic, Orchestral


Biography

The Hungarian group After Crying is far and away one of the most creative and well renowned ensembles in modern progressive music. Not only are they perhaps the finest band to ever come out of Eastern Europe, they have also emerged as perhaps one of the finest symphonic groups of the 1990's, releasing a string of albums that have been gobbled up by prog fans worldwide. The band's prime influences are undoubtedly early King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, yet unlike some of their current "prog" contemporaries, AC manages to truly push their music beyond the boundaries already charted by the heroes of the genre. The band incorporates a heavy classical influences, illustrated by the use of cello, flute and trumpet, as well as Hungarian folk music, into a completely unique and incredibly satisfying style.

The band's inception took place in the late 1986 around the nucleus of Peter Pejtsik on cello, Csaba Vedres on keys, and Egervari Gabor on flute. The band started life as an acoustic outfit out of simple necessity, lacking the appropriate access to electronic equipment. This initial grounding in an acoustic approach seems to be fundamental in their development into varied classical rock band they became, one with a firm grasp on acoustic instrumentation and dynamics, as well as their proper incorporation into an electric environment. The group eventually released their first album Overground Music in 1990, which introduced their distinctive morose, yet melodic, chamber music approach. The next album Megalazottak es Megszomoritottak showed a significant step forward in every aspect, and is without a doubt one of the very finest examples of symphonic progressive produced in the 90's. A true classic. Over this time, the band added individuals with early ties to the group, like guitarist/keyboardist Torma Ferenc and creative consultant Gorgenyi Tamas. After the release of the third album, the excellent Fold es eg, main keyboardist and songwriter Vedres Csaba jumped ship to form Townscream, a move which, at the time, seemed to have signaled the end of the band. However, the group soldiered on, releasing two more studio albums since the departure, De Profundis and 6, along with a number of compilations and live releases. After Crying's style has continued to move forward since their MeM opus, incorporating more of a bombastic Emerson Lake & Palmer style along with their more traditional influences. The sound of their more recent releases is definitely more straightforward, falling into a more typical symphonic mold than their groundbreaking early work. Overall, next to perhaps Anglagard and precious few others, After Crying is one of the only absolutely vital bands dwelling in the "symphonic" realm to have released classic, groundbreaking work in the 90's. Their prime albums are all essential. - Greg Northrup [April 2001]

Source: After Crying Official Homepage
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Overground Music (2000)

After Crying's debut album is an excellent piece of classically influenced progressive rock, complete with cellos, trumpets and other authentic classical instrumentation. The lack of drums also gives it more of a chamber orchestra feel. The sound is immediately overwhelming and morose; rolling pianos, lilting flutes and churning cellos combine to make an extremely moody and melodic document. The only problem here is the vocals, as they are sung in accented English and therefore lose some of the magic present on some of After Crying's subsequent albums. Vocal parts, and the passages that surround them, are also more conventional than would be preferable, singing along with fairly simple melodies. The best moments on the album are clearly where the ensemble stretches out to create the trademark After Crying classical soundscapes.

"European Things" is a homage to Frank Zappa, and is one of the best tracks on the album. I'm not really familiar with Zappa at all, but I think the band is playing a medley of his stuff here. There are some extraordinary classical themes throughout. "Confess Your Beauty" has some cheesy lyrics, but is ultimately very cool, sporting an addictive groove. One of the other highlights the the awesome "..to Black..", during which the vocals are actually quite effective in delivering the solemnly powerful mood. Overall the album is very good in its own right, but in hindsight sits in the shadow of its successor, the monstrous Megalazottak es Megszomoritottak. That said, Overground Music is probably the album in the After Crying catalog with the most stylistic similarities to the MeM opus, and fans of that album would do well to look here next, although Fold es eg is also quite good. The accented English vocals may be distracting for some, but to me this stands as the second best After Crying album, behind only MeM. - Greg Northrup [April 2001]
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Megalazottak es Megszomoritottak (1992)

After Crying's second album, Megalazottak es Megszomoritottak is a beautiful, yet melancholy experience. This Hungarian band combines native influences as well as classical into an intimate chamber sound. The dominance of instruments such as cello, piano and trumpet provide a totally new listening experience for those who view prog simply as a form of rock and roll. The strength of the band lies in their ability to create hauntingly beautiful yet slightly foreboding atmospheres with quiet passages that lead up to powerful and frenetic crescendos, and then return into calm atmospheric moments. The occasional vocals in Hungarian are sung very smoothly, almost chanting at times, and are used simply to compliment the music, not as the focal point. Minimal drumming helps to move the music along without being obtrusive to the strings and piano.
Tracks of note are the 22 minute opener "A Gadarai Megszallott", with it's repeating theme and great cello playing. The action slowly builds throughout the whole piece to the finale, where the trumpet chimes in with a wonderfully intoxicating melody. There are a few parts early on where not much is happening though. The other highlight of the album is the title track, which quickly builds up to the most chaotic part of the album. Powerful drumming is contrasted by flailing cello and stately church organ, which later turns to piano. The second half of the song is much more laid back and atmospheric.

Unfortunately this is the only release by the band done entirely in this style, moving onto a more straight ahead symphonic rock direction with later albums. A personal favorite of mine, this should appeal to fans of classical music, being much closer to the real thing than your typical Emersonian rock bastardization. Any fan of symphonic music should check this out. - Mike Prete [February 2001]
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Fold es eg (1994)

The keyboard bombast that opens the album illustrates that Fold es eg is a very different beast than its classic predecessor, Megalazottak es Megszomoritottak. On the two part "Manticore" piece, keyboardist/pianist Vedres Csaba opts for a over-the-top Keith Emerson approach, a style that is carried through most of the early tracks on the album (with the exception of the beautiful, but short, "Enigma" interlude). The self-conscious titling of these tracks (the first four), and the rather overt similarities to ELP gives the impression of a purposeful tribute to the group. For me, this first portion of the album isn't exactly a highlight. I've never been a huge ELP fan, and frankly these songs don't do a whole lot for me, though I certainly don't skip by them when I'm listening to the album either. They are well done for what they are.

The next three tracks are sort of transitional pieces, one a solo acoustic guitar piece, then a charming choir-like piece and finally a classical piano piece. Only then, after 7 tracks, do things really get good. "Puer natus in Bethlehem" is the first track that really recalls the haunting chamber progressive of the previous album, as an exquisite trumpet line hangs over a bed of melodic strings, giving off a reverential, almost religious air. "Judas" tends to rock out a little more, but still scratches that itch for an overwhelming classical feel, with churning cellos, racing horn lines and occasional Frippian guitar textures. "Bar ejszaka Van" is yet another haunting track, a spoken word piece backed by classical piano motifs. Then, finally, we have the absolute masterpiece of the album, and definitely a perfect illustration of the classic After Crying sound. "Ketezer ev" is absolutely glorious, and at the longest playing time on the album is without a doubt worth the price of admission alone. All the hallmarks of the classic After Crying sound, albeit with a greater emphasis on the vocals, which are absolutely gorgeous.

Overall, though the truly classic portion of the album makes up only four tracks, they are fairly lengthy and make the album an extremely solid buy. Though the first portions are certainly not unpleasant by any means, I find that they do bring the album down a tad from the previous heights of Megalazottak es Megszomoritottak. Check out that album first, and if you like it, by all means head over to Fold es eg. One of the pillar After Crying albums. - Greg Northrup [April 2001]
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De Profundis (1996)

The first album after the departure of main composer Csaba Vedres actually turned out to be quite impressive, and is another solid addition to the group's high quality back catalog. De Profundis proceeds with many of the same ideas of the previous three albums, emotinal compositions and solemn symphonic emphasis, complemented by the usual barrage of stark, churning cellos and powerful horns. However, it does manage to carve out its own niche in After Crying's body of work, adding an even more cinematic scope and sense of grandeur, due more perhaps to its 70 minute playing length than actual musical differentiation. Though the album, I feel, lacks the same haunting atmosphere and unique beauty of Megalazottak es Megszomoritottak, it also dumps the rather unnecessary ELP-isms of the first side of Fold es eg, coming closest in style to the second half of that album. That is, a number of solo and chamber pieces for various instruments arranged as separate tracks sequenced back to back throughout the album, occasionally interspersed with an epic band composition such as "Stalker" or the title track. Fear not any sense of discontinuity though, as the band successfully integrates the seemingly disparate elements, such as a chamber piece followed by tasteful electric guitar soloing, into a flowing and integrated whole. A deft compositional touch is certainly applied, making the moments where they entire group comes in with vocals and orchestral flair eminently satisfying.

Apparently, De Profundis functions as some sort of concept album, though it is obviously beyond my capacity to interpret. Vocals do seem more prominent than on any other After Crying album I've heard, though they are certainly far from any kind of focal point. Funnily enough, this album took quite a few listens to grow on me, and I initially found it far inferior to any of their previous works (as some of my other AC reviews might indirectly reflect). Having listened to it quite a bit recently, I'm finding it hard to see what it was I didn't like about it, save for the rather excessive length and occasional dragging passage. Even the length issue has become less and less of a problem as I've gradually absorbed the subtleties of the album. I'd probably go so far as to claim De Profundis as vying for second place with Overground Music in the band's catalog. Though not a seminal classic of the same magnitude of Megalazottak es Megszomoritottak, De Profundis is clearly among the top symphonic releases of the 90s. - Greg Northrup [September 2001]



Pejtsik Peter - Cello, Synthesizer, Bass
Winkler Balazs - Trumpet, Synthesizer
Gacs Laszlo - Drums
Egervari Gabor - Flute
Torma Ferenc - Guitar