Summary
After Crying is a relatively unknown band from Hungary, which started in 1986. With their debut Overground Music (which I happen to own) they record a total of six albums and now a compilation of their music including four new tracks. This album is supposed to work out into a series of compilation discs.

The music
The Overture that by necessity opens the album is classical piece with real oboes, flutes and bassoons. This happens quite often on albums by After Crying. The band is not classically oriented as ELP or the Nice were, but play with real instruments and music that sounds really classical. Still, the music is more melodic than most classical music and hence more likable to me. For instance this first piece is although short a very good one. The next one, a new piece called Aqua, is slightly less good. The song is almost a folky lullabye and might remind some of Mike Oldfield in his old days. After this track we move right into Big Evil Fun Fair Final (here in the short version). Powerful music here starting off quietly with more classical oriented music, but soon the electric guitar lends energy and power to it. One might liken this music to the great soundtracks of Hollywood (in the style of Jarre, Elfman etc.), but with elements of a rock group added to it. Later on it the music even swings. Like Aqua the next new track, Windblown Waltz, is a rather soothing piece. Pilgrims' March is also a new track, a mid-tempo low key track which might remind you of Camel's Harbour of Tears. A thoroughly melodic piece that fades into the distance. The last new track is a Sonata For Violoncello And Piano. The title well describes the contents, although the violin is rowdier than you might expect. Sleepin' Chaplin is a rather classical piece, melodic and sometimes dark. I wouldn't mind a few more harder tones here and there. Suburban Night is track which goes into the direction of King Crimson. Admittedly the violoncello is not typically Crimson, but the spirit of KC is there as well as the spirit of 1001 Nights. The Insulted And The Injured is the first really long track of the album. It is the title track of the band's second album and is the closest thing they have come uey to progressive: tense playing on the violin, varied percussion and even vocals (hence the "Almost"). The vocal passage is somewhat Floydian, but the lone trumpet part following it is more typical of Isham. Rondo might remind some of the Nice with its classicality and excursions into jazz. The least likable track so far for me. Following the melodic classical S.O.S., Struggle For Life is a rather long and tense one with plenty of keyboards. The music has something of the style of Hans Zimmer on his Lion King soundtrack (great music by the way) and later on when the guitar starts to build up tension one might think of KC again and during the keyboard parts I often think of ELP. After the spoken vocals we come to a rather quiet part with piano. This song can be quite hectic in parts. There is one other band which tries to make music similar to this and that is later Isildurs Bane. However, in my opinion After Crying is by far superior. In The End is a short one before the last epic. Shining is from Overground Music, the debut album. There's some very clear singing by Judit Andrejzki and the music reminds me very much of Renaissance in their greater days. The song also contains some rather playful parts. Towards the end the music becomes a bit more pompous with trumpets sounding.
As regards the booklet, it took me some time to figure out that the first names came after the family names.

Conclusion
Totally recommended. I think even if you do not really like classical music as such (like I do) I still think you should sample this band (and this album may just be the way to do it). The music on this disc is captivating, melodic, varied, original, well played and well produced. For people into classically oriented prog (like Isildurs Bane) and people who like those somewhat classical movie soundtracks getting this album is an absolute must. For other people....well...also a must.

Jurriaan Hage