- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080i/60
- Audio Codec: PCM 2.0 (48kHz/24-bit); Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit) (Audience Mix & Stage Mix); Dolby Digital 5.1; 2-Channel FLAC (48kHz/24-bits); 2-Channel MP3 (320 kbps); 2-Channel Headphone “Surround Mix” (48kHz/24-bit); CD: 2.0 PCM
- Subtitles: None
- Region: ABC (Region-Free)
- Rating: Not Rated
- Discs: 2 (1 x Blu-ray; 1 x CD)
- Studio: AIX Records
- Blu-ray Release Date: November 13, 2012
- List Price: $16.99
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Overall
[Rating:3/5]
The Performance
[Rating:3.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:3/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1.5/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(All TheaterByte screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG at 100% quality setting and are meant as a general representation of the content. They do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Performance
[Rating:3.5/5]
Pop singer Emin Agalarov hails from Azerbaijan but now splits his time between Moscow and London. After the Thunder is his debut release for AIX Records. We get a twofer set that includes a standard resolution CD and a BD with lossless surround mixes and six music videos. Six of the thirteen cuts duplicated on the CD and BD get the video and enhanced sound treatment as noted in the audio coverage section. The play list is as follows:
- Baby Get Higher*
- Never Enough*
- Heart Keeps Beating
- Oxygen
- Walk Through Walls*
- After The Thunder
- Beautiful Taboo
- Dead Roses*
- I Should’ve Known Better
- I’ll Be There
- Better
- Obvious*
- Anytime You Fall*
(*titles are included on the BD)
The songs are typically sensual ballads of love and loss, many with heart-thumping rhythm tracks and occasional background vocals. The majority (nine) are Emin originals and all of the lyrics are included in the accompanying booklet. There is not a clear-cut winner here but the ones that I returned to most often were Never Enough with its Latin rhythm background and After The Thunder that puts out an insistent and vibrant backbeat.
Video Quality
[Rating:3/5]
Music videos are rarely ever demonstration quality, often grainy and jerky with less emphasis on image than on continuity of singing rather than action. The six seen here are typical of this genre. Okay to watch and not distracting enough to spoil the overall effect of the songs, but definitely not eye candy from the standpoint of their image properties.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
The BD inclusions have terrific sonics with heart-stopping bass and lush backgrounds. The basic resolution is 48 kHz/24-bit, an audible improvement over the CD. There are several audio options on the disc including two Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (“stage” and “audience”) versions, and a Dolby Digital 5.1 [Stage/Audience] perspective, and 2.0 stereo mix. For those wanting to get this music on their PCs, the BD offers a 2.0 FLAC, a 320 mp3 and 5.1 “surround” headphone version. On each of these alternatives, voice reproduction was well balanced. The CD was by comparison much less vibrant or atmospheric.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1.5/5]
We get a program booklet with lyrics and a casual brief interview with Emin. [For the purposes of this review, the BD was considered as a part of the main offering since it contains the video content as well as the enhanced alternative audio mixes.]
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:3/5]
This combo disc set will appeal mostly to the “young and restless” audience who listen to this type of music incessantly on their iPods and computers. The attraction of this package is its good sounding high-resolution soundtracks. It is tempting but risky to apply objectivity to such new releases but ultimately this is what reviewers must do. While I found the majority of the cuts pleasant listening with relatively bland and inoffensive lyrics, they are very derivative as similar fare already jams the public and subscription radio stations. This is a pity since Emin has a most attractive voice that, I am certain, would be better served by better material, perhaps covers of some contemporary romantic standards. Hopefully, he will get that chance in the future because I would really like to hear more of him.
Additional Screen Captures
[amazon-product]B009IF12P0[/amazon-product]
Purchase Emin: After the Thunder on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
[amazon-product]B009IF12P0[/amazon-product]
Purchase Emin: After the Thunder on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:3/5]
The Performance
[Rating:3.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:3/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1.5/5]
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