After Crying - Creatura (2011)

Artista: After Crying

Álbum: Creatura
Año: 2011
Género: Rock sinfónico
Duración: 73:29
Nacionalidad: Hungría

Lista de Temas:
1. Preludio Furioso
2. Játékos / Gambler
3. Vagyok / I Am
4. Preludio Percussivo
5. Air Trumpet
6. Kevésbé fontos dolgok - Klasszikus miniatûr / Less Important Things - Classic Miniature
7. Goromba / Rude
8. Szemfényvesztõ / Illusionist
9. U-Shaped
10. Akkor majd a kövek énekelnek / Then The Stones Will Sing
11. Kettétört / Torn Apart
12. Creatura
13. Preludio Metropolitano
14. Ne sírj! / Do Not Cry!
15. Esõisten / Rain God
16. iLove Story
17. Vagy-e még? / Do You Still Exist?
18. Tárogató
19. Preludio Furioso
20. Szabadesés / Free Fall
21. Hajsza / Chase Music
22. Three Desires
23. Ne félj, nem lesz baj / No Worries, No Cry

Alineación:
- Zoltán 'BZ' Bátky / lead and backing vocals, tunes
- Gábor Egervári / lyrics, narration, ideas, flute
- Zoltán Lengyel / grand piano, keyboards, synthesizer
- Zsolt Madai / drums and percussion, rhythms
- Péter Pejtsik / compositions, arrangements, orchestrations, cello, bass, backing vocals
- Ferenc Torma / guitars, synthesizers
- Balázs Winkler / compositions, arrangements, orchestrations, trumpet, grand piano, synthesizer, programming

Miren con que empezamos el viernes!!!! After Crying para todos carajoooooooo!!!!!!!

Por favor, lean el comentario que nos hizo para la ocasión el Mago Alberto, que no tiene desperdicio:

Último trabajo de los húngaros de After Crying que se tiene información hasta el momento, una obra dividida en cuatro partes, con un preludio que se repite, y parece una obertura realizada por la Sinfonica de Londres, pero que en realidad son dieciseis músicos invitados para esta ocasión, un trabajo maduro, claro, conciso, mostrando a una banda sin altibajos, momentos muy atmosféricos, con una instrumentación exquisita y que supo mantener el estilo de la banda.
El proyecto denominado "Creatura" navega entre relatos en húngaro, disonancias cuasi barrocas, una trompeta que recuerda aquella del Principe Ruperto de King Crimson y una orquestación seudo sinfónica que va penetrando de a poco y desembocando en partes muy distintas de las cuatro suites (norte, sur, este, oeste) en que se divide la obra.
After Crying es una banda que hay que descubrir de a poco, hay que darle ese tiempo, buscarla como a una amante, y darle momentos amplios, y allí seguro vas a disfrutar de estos húngaros que sin lugar a dudas van a dejar su huella en el progresivo mundial, por su originalidad, su inmensa vocación musical, y su despliegue ilimitado en cada uno de sus trabajos, algunos hemos presentado en el blog cabezón de a cuotas pero ¡que cuotas!.
De aquí hasta fin de año seguro vamos a presentar todos sus discos, con algunas sorpresas, como un bootleg no oficial grabado en Varsovia que se las trae.
Navegando por el rock escandinavo, el movimiento del este europeo, o mejor dicho de los cuatro puntos cardinales del viejo mundo, hay muchísimas bandas que van apareciendo en el blog, algunas con más vuelo y criterio que otras pero que de a poco van mostrando que el arte es universal hoy mas que nunca y que hay que salir a buscarlo, a investigarlo, a buscar aún debajo de las piedras para tener y albergar un criterio mas amplio sobre la música, solo de esta manera vamos a ir puliendo y curtiendo el oído para no engañarse y no caer en la seducción de algun locutor de turno, y menos de esas productoras pedorras que te venden el paquete del festival de la gaseosa, la cerveza o el celular, y vos lo mas pancho te tragas el paquete con moño y todo, y vas cargando tu reproductor personal con tu aire ausente y despreocupado como decía la canción, y vas surfeando olas pequeñitas que van moldeando solo tu cabecita consumista. Esto es otra cosa, esto es internarse en el océano, esto es de algún modo la alquimia que transforma neuronas, quizás por esta razón, tenemos la posibilidad de presentar bandas como los After Crying, y tantas otras que seguro aparecerán para el beneplacito de los cabezones.

Alberto

No le vamos a dar muchas vueltas, pego un par de comentarios y al disco, además yo no lo escuché aún y estoy ansioso por hacerlo:

Sí, afortunadamente esta gran banda húngara vuelve después de años de silencio. Creatura es el nuevo álbum de estudio de After Crying. El último había sido Show, editado en 2003.
En esta oportunidad la alineación de la banda mantiene a todos los integrantes músicos de la misma, con respecto a ocho años atrás, pero incorpora una pequeña orquesta de dieciseis instrumentos, que confiere un toque sonoro sinfónico más explícito que en trabajos anteriores en los que los teclados se encargaban de esos matices.
La obra se encuentra dividida en cuatro suites de varios movimientos cada una. Cada suite lleva el nombre de un punto cardinal [Oeste, Norte, Este, Sur] y comienza con un preludio que se repite con distinto caracter en cada caso, pero sobre la misma partirura.
No hay que descartar en este caso - así como lo han hecho en otros casos - un homenaje a los maestros del Prog Sinfónico de los '70, en particular a Emerson, Lake & Palmer, con énfasis especial en los teclados de Emerson. De hecho, esos preludios provocan evocaciones del último movimiento del Concierto para Piano que Emerson presenta en Works I, Toccata con fuoco.
De más está señalar que mantienen el virtuosismo instrumental que siempre ha caracterizado a los músicos de esta banda, salidos de los conservatorios musicales de los países del este europeo, del ex bloque socialista. Pero además se continúa esa línea de una sonoridad peculiar que mezcla los recursos sinfónicos, un toque tecno industrial, las influencias jazzísticas y la base del Rock y del Prog.
Los resultados son de alta calidad y resultan siempre novedosos aunque perdure una esencia original que signa la trayectoria de la banda desde fines de los '80 hasta el presente.
Afortunadamente han vuelto y este Creatura es una renovada tarjeta de presentación para estos veteranos músicos y esta imprescindible banda.
En Progarchives le adjudican un 4.09 / 5, en The Forgotten Sons 7 / 10 y en Plixid 6 / 10

Lennon

Vamos con los comentarios en inglés...

In September 2003 I wrote the following introduction for the progVisions review of “Show”;
“We had to wait six long years for this: The new After Crying studio album! But in those six years the band released a compilation with some unpublished material and re-arrangements ( “Almost pure instrumental” – 1998 ), an incredible live double album ( “Struggle for life” – 2000 ) which became my personal album of that year and a very interesting live album with one of the first performances with a real orchestra ( “Bootleg symphony” – 2001 ). For me it is unbelievable that so few people know the works of this band. In one of my reviews I called them the most underrated band in the world. In my opinion After Crying is one of the best bands on this planet with incredible musical craftsmanship and a never-ending urge to be innovative. “After Crying Show” is their seventh studio album.”
Now we live in the year 2011 and I could write a similar introduction, the band released the last years some old material including a DVD. This time we had to wait for eight years to welcome a new After Crying studio album. But when you have followed this remarkable band you know that you are in for something special. For the fans of progressive rock this is a wonderful year. We were not so long ago, surprised by a new studio album of Discipline (“To Shatter All Accord”), and now there’s the new After Crying studio album entitled “Creatura”.
How would you describe the music of After Crying ... perhaps it is more clear if you first read the following quote from the official website of the band;
“Their music is a case in point that by creatively employing a variety of means, ranging from acoustic chamber music to modern rock and pop, symphonic orchestration and classical or contemporary forms a colorful but coherent image can be produced to convey a consistent world view”.
The new album consists out of four long suites with the titles “West”, “North”, “East” and “South”. Each suite opens with a short prelude. “Preludio Furioso” (West), “Preludio Percussivo” (North), “Preludio Metropolitano” (East) and “Preludio Furioso” (South) ... you can see them as variations on a theme.
When you put the CD in your player and you hear “Preludio Furioso” for the first time, it is quite an overwhelming experience. This is one of the unique musical styles of the band ... After Crying is back! It is a great piece of symphonic orchestration. At this moment Symphonic Rock fans will get a feeling that the circle is round. We are back at the roots of the Symphonic Rock (which is nowadays called Progressive Rock). Speaking of progressive rock, the next part “Játékos / Gambler” is a burning progrock song that has all the After Crying ingredients. In this part the many sides of the music of After Crying are revealed. Complex rhythms are combined with beautiful melodies and catchy vocal refrains. Some influences of King Crimson are shining true the instrumental sections of this part. Another ingredient of After Crying’s music is the use of pieces of narration by Egervári Gábor to tell a story line or to integrate the poems of Jósef Attila in the music. The voice of Egervári Gábor gives the music a special atmosphere ... which I always link to the music of After Crying. You can also hear this in the last part “Vagyok / I am” of this first suite. In “Vagyok / I am” you can hear some Oriental influences. The part where the violin is placed next to the trumpet has a beautiful melody.
“North” the second suite is the longest suite of the album and counts more than 24 minutes. After “Preludio Percussivo” Winkler Balázs plays in his composition “Air Trumpet” a delicate melody on his trumpet. Then follows the short Classical piano part “Kevésbé fontos dolgok - Klasszikus Miniatür / Less Important Things - Classic Miniature”. In the last of the first four instrumental pieces of this suite you can enjoy a jazzy trumpet solo by Winkler Balázs and a freaky electric violin solo which reminds me of the complex music of King Crimson (David Cross) and Mahavishnu Orchestra (Jerry Goodman). Then the band switch to a pop tune with classical orchestration and some Brazilian influences (the acoustic guitar) entitled “Szemfényvesztö / Illusionist”. “U-Shaped” is a short and delicate vocal part on a bed of beautiful keyboard strings. The next instrumental part “Akkor Majd a Kövek Énekelnek / Then The Stones Will Sing” is a Classical showcase for the cello of Pejtsik Péter. The cello provides the chamber-music ingredient of the music of After Crying. “Kettétört / Torn Apart” opens with a romantic piano / trumpet tune. A delicate piece of music with wonderful melodies. The suite is closed with the title track “Creature” where the vocals are sung on a Shamanistic way.
The next suite “East” opens with a hectic prelude theme, “Preludio Metropolitano”. This is followed by a breathtaking cello melody of Pejtsik Péter in “Ne Sírj! / Don’t Cry!” In the next part “Esóisten / Rain God” the tension of the music slowly builds up to a climax with a freaky synth solo. This part flows into the song “iLove Story” which has a very modern character. The band slows down again with “Vagy-e Még? / Do You till Exist?” where the narration lies on top of mysterious keyboard sounds. This piece flows seamless into “Tárogató” with it’s delicate wind instruments and romantic orchestration.
In the last suite “South” the “Preludio Furioso” returns. In “Szabadesés / Free Fall” you can enjoy again some very beautiful vocal melodies that are accompanied by tasteful keyboards and a beautiful piano solo. The next part “Hajsza / Chase Music” has a somewhat hectic instrumentation. It is the ultimate mix of Classical and Jazz music. “Three Desires” is a piece of music in where the tension is slowly building up towards a kind of climax. The repetitive guitar parts gives the music a Crimson like atmosphere. The suite and the album closes with “Ne Félj, nem Lesz Baj / No Worries No Cry” in where the percussion patterns stand out.
Wow ... what can I say ... After Crying did it again. A few weeks ago I wrote that “To Shatter All Accord”, the new studio album from Discipline, was the biggest surprise of the year 2011 and gave the album four and a half points out of five. So I have a problem here because this is a five out of five points album! After Crying takes the time to release new albums ... but they all are real gems of progressive rock. The music is indeed ranging from acoustic chamber music to modern rock and pop, symphonic orchestration and classical or contemporary forms. You can find great music and breathtaking melodies on this fine prog album. For me “Creatura” is the album of the year!

Douwe Fledderus

I'm surprised to see that I'm the first PA collaborator writing a review of the last studio album of the Hungarian After Crying.
If anybody asks you what you mean for "Symphonic Prog", I think this band can be used as example. This album is not an exception: 4 suites (West, North, East and South), with lyrics in Hungarian with an alternance of orchestral and rock moments in the best tradition of the genre.
"Creatura" is an Italian word already present in the late Latin and means "Being" or of course "Creature". Unfortunately I don't understand Hungarian and I haven't found a translaton of he lyrics so even though I'm sure that it's based on a concept, I can't tell what it's about.
"West" has a symphonic intro, followed by a rock part with some passages reminding of King Crimson. The third part of this mini-suite is interesting. It features a narrator, bass, drums and mainly a background trumpet.
"North" is made of nine movements. It starts as all the four suites with a symphonic "Preludio" which is the reprise of the same intro of "West". It's followed by a jazz trumpet which reminds to the atmospheres of Blade Runner: dark and rainy, suddenly replaced by a piano minuet. After the piano it's hard rock with a strong Crimsonian flavor and an excellent guitar solo. The following movement is a song entitled "The Illusionist" with a French Chansonnier flavor. It's followed by a dark song made of keyboard and bass pitched vocals which makes me think to Rick Wright's Broken China. The strings quartet which follows is quite a natural follow-up. Everytime this band goes into classical music the result is excellent. The piano based instrumental which follows is another great piece. Then it comes the hypnotic "title track". Choir and percussive sounds for a very dark and grotesque song.
It's time for the third Prelude which starts "East" which is the shortest of the 4 suites. The first movement after the prelude is a dreamy peaceful instrumental. The transitions are less sudden than on the previous two suites. The passage between the peaceful mood to this dark section is smooth. For a while, it has reminded me to Marillion's "Passing Strangers". It's incredible how starting from the violin we can fall into a drum solo leading to a keyborad solo and then to one of the darkest and very Crimsonian moments of the whole album. Darkness enhanced by the following movement which has English lyrics. A dark rock song started by tape sounds typical of house music. Dark ambient now. A narrator speaks over a keyboard layer. Again Blade Runner comes to mind (the atmosphere). The question repeated by the speaker means "Are You Still Alive?". A wonderful minute and half of classical inspired music closes this third suite.
The prelude is 8 seconds shorter this time. The fourth suite, "South" has an electronic start which grows into a very good song, in Hungarian this time. A melodic song. Totally progressive followed by an uptime orchestral movement in Emerson Lake and Palmer style (the kind of orchestral things typical of Works vol. 1) with a lot of jazz inside. Effectively Gershwin and Copland come to my mind. One of the best things of the album. There's room for bass in the movement which follows. A rhythmic bass is the layer on which this instrumental developes on. Another moment of darkness reminding to Fripp & co. The closer is a choir accompanied by drums only. Excellent also this.
The only reason why I don't rate this album as a masterpiece is the fact that the various movements are too disconnected. Some transitions don't work very well and this sometimes breaks the listening pleasure. However each single track or movement taken alone is excellent. For fans of King Crimson, Emerson Lake and Palmer and the dark side of Symphonic prog in general.

Luca

This is the first album by the After Crying, since 2003. The Creatura consists four suites. All song cycles begins with overture of grandiose full orchestra. The music is on this album enough eclectic, it contains hints of jazz with some classical and folk twists. We can discover some crimsonish tracks: Rude, Rain God, Three Desires. The floating Free Fall has a slight Genesis tone. The vocal of Zoltan Batky is excellent, he has warm voice. The trumpet playing of the Bal�¡zs Winkler are gorgeous. Then The Stones Will Sing: this is a five minutes cello piece from Peter Pejtsik, it's harkens back of the After Crying's primaeval. The Illusionist is very unexpected, tango style song. Despite the miscellaneous mood, the Creatura has a cohesion, it is in a great part due to the very intelligent lyrics. According to Gabor Egervary, this is a concept album about an alien, named Creatura, who arrives from the another planet. This being tries to understand the humankind of the attitude of mind. I think, Creatura is most accessible from the After Crying's catalog.

Antal Molnár

Que lo disfruten! yo me apresto a hacerlo....