MEGALÁZOTTAK ÉS MEGSZOMORÍTOTTAK

AFTER CRYING have been "at it" for at least 10 years, and, thanks to the internet, they have slowly built a strong international fan base outside of Hungary. "Megalázottak és Megszomorítottak", released in 1992, is a unique album in the world of prog. The new listener quickly notices that the band is more classical, in nature, than rock, and consists of a pianist, cello player, trumpet player, bassist, and drummer. The music on this album is done in a post-minimalist style. By that, I mean that the compositions feature slow extended notes, and relaxed attitudes, but the band isn't afraid to flirt with complexity (almost like some of John Adam's work) every once in a while. The musicians focus on creating beautiful atmospheres that are haunting, sometimes depressed, and dark. In fact, once in a while I'm reminded of UNIVERS ZERO, yet AFTER CRYING are less frantic. The first track "A Gadarai Megszállott" is a 22-minute masterpiece. The first 7-minutes features slow, tension-building, interaction between piano and cello. I quickly noticed that the drummer tends to lay low, and he usually taps out variations of the melodies on his cymbals. The vocal section that starts around the 8-minute mark really surprised me. My only experience previously with the Hungarian language in music came via my dad's Hungarian folk albums. I was actually expecting the vocals here to sound closer to vocals featured in Russian, German, and Romanian music, but, surprisingly, the singing on this album is actually closer to Italian. By that, I mean that the vocal melodies are very close to the ones found on Italian prog albums. The singer tends to sing in a sad, reflective sort of way. Towards the end of that vocal section the band starts heading towards more aggressive territories, yet even at their most aggressive, the band sounds controlled and reserved. The pianist, at one point towards the last part of the piece, bursts out a BANCO-like piano riff. At this point, the trumpet is also noticeable. The trumpet-style is minimalist, and usually involves a few sustained notes. Once in a while, I also hear a bit of a Miles Davis influence. Now, if I had to point out a flaw, I would mention the climatic(or release) section of the composition. After building-up tension for about 15-minutes, the ending isn't strong enough to resolve the piece (it's quite possible that the band meant for it to sound unresolved). The 4 other pieces that finish the CD are not as strong as the epic. Overall, this is one of the top 1990s prog CD that I've heard.