Record Reviews

AFTER… ~ HIDEOUT OSKAR 1038 (Barcode: 5907811103829) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2007 Released: 2008 This is the second album by Polish Prog band After…Find albums by this artist, one of the second-wave Neo-Progressive bands to emerge on the local scene, which also includes the most popular Polish Prog band at the moment: RiversideFind albums by this artist. After… differs from most other bands in that category as it is almost free of the dreadful metal elements that dominate most other bands, often making their music unlistenable. Although they play hard and strong at times, their music is first and foremost melodic in nature, making them more similar to older Polish Prog bands, like QuidamFind albums by this artist. The first lineup of the group was fronted by a female vocalist, similar to what happened with Quidam. The lineup that recorded this album features lead vocalist Krzysztof DrogowskiFind albums by this artist, guitarists Wojciech TyminskiFind albums by this artist and Czarek BregierFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Tomasz WisniewskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Mariusz ZiolkowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Radek WieckowskiFind albums by this artist. The album includes ten original songs, all credited as group compositions, with all lyrics by the vocalist except for one song where they were written by Tyminski. The lyrics are in English, which of course is most unfortunate, as they present a challenge as far as the quality of the text is concerned and even more so in its actual execution (i.e. pronunciation, accent, etc.) by the vocalist, which always becomes the weakest link on any Polish album sung in English. Obviously the hope of an international success clouds the minds of these young people to venture onto this treacherous path. In today´s condition the choice of Polish lyrics might have proven to be as wise if not wiser and certainly much more effective as far as the overall result is concerned. But English lyrics aside, the album is a pretty solid piece of Neo-Prog, with some superb melodies, especially the ballads, and excellent instrumental performances by the band members and the vocalist. There are some great guitar solos, very good work by the keyboards, which provides the background, upon which the entire musical structure is built, and rock solid work by the rhythm section, which never misses a bit and has a great fat sound. There is both deep lyricism and strong somewhat heavier expressionism, but the band eschews any signs of Prog Metal, which is a relief. Although not terribly innovative or groundbreaking, this is a solid Prog album, which most Neo-Prog fans around the world should be able to enjoy. It is certainly better than most releases in that genre, which seems to be going nowhere artistically in the last decade. At least there is some great music herein. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 21/09/2021Posted:

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