After Crying's second album, Megalázottak és Megszomorítottak, 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 Megszállott", with its 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]
Bookmarks