Customer Reviews

The Cross & The Crucible

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I like and listen the progressive rock since 25 years ago (Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd, ELP my favourites that time!).
After "Beat the Drum", a very good work, Pallas come back with this masterpiece. With this album (the 4th) Pallas really growth significatly. It contains influences and elements of early days of prog and also new and modern elements. This album is powerful, moving, very melodic. You must to listen several times the CD to understand and find the rich variety of the music. The sound and production are very great, especially the drums and bass. Compositions and perfomance: 9.4, Production: 9, artwork: 9.5. All songs excellents, but the highlights to me are "The Cross and the Crucible", "For the Greater Glory" (maybe the best of the album and at the prog rock scene in this year), "Towers of Babble" and "Midas Touch". The best albums in the prog rock the last years: 1996 was for Pendragon with "The Masquerade Overture"; 1997 was for IQ with "Subterranea"; 1998: Arena with "The Visitor"; 1999: Dream Theater with "Metropolis 2"; 2000: Transatlantic with his album debut "SMTPe". Definitely "Cross & the Crucible" and the new work of Transatlantic "Bridge across forever" are the best albums of prog rock of 2001 until now, believe me!. And for last, a explanation: somebody (the record label) said that Pallas is Progressive metal (Dream Theater, Symphony X, Shadow Gallery, Vanden Plas, Ayreon for example). This is false. The style is progressive rock symphonic (Pendragon, IQ, Arena).

This is the best release that Pallas has put out in years. More in line with older stuff like The Sentinel or the Wedge. Pallas's slow slide into pop was great dissapointment to many who remember them as being on the cutting edge of prog in the early 80's. This band, along with IQ, Marillion, Galahad and Twelfth Night revitalized an all but dead genre of music. Cross and Crucible is a mature well produced release that showcases the technical ability of these musicians. They may be 20 years older but they still can play! I think fans of the above mentioned bands will enjoy this CD alot.

This is the best release the lads have done since "The Sentinel" really fab production on this one! Full of the dramatic passages Pallas fans have loved for ages. Nice to have Graeme featured as lead vocalist again on a track. Truly a great release from a great neo-prog band.

Metal symphonic or progressive? It is all that but softened by ambient sounds. I think it is more in the genre of Arena (the Immortal). This album is supported by excellent lyrics.

Singer (Alan Reed)has so much presence, his voice is a criss-cross between Mark Hollis (talk Talk) and Demis Roussos (oups! what a comparaison! not as harmonic as Demis).

My favorite song is "Towers of babble" particulary when the organ solo starts and after. It is an excellent buy.

I can't see what the knockers are on about... This is a stunning album on any level! Yes, there are nods in the direction of Rush, Peter Gabriel, Yes, et al, BUT surely that does not detract from the overall beauty of this album? I agree with the reviewer who said that Midas Touch was the best track, but I also like Towers of Babel, Big Bang (with its allusion to Mozart), and the title trac (CATC)... The whole point is, it's easy to say that such-and-such a band is NOT Genesis, or Marillion, or whoever... but to say that is to miss the point! This IS Pallas... and they are charting a course that a multitude of bands are no longer sailing... you are allowed to think they are derivative, BUT they are brilliant... There are only 12 notes in music... it is the order that one re-arranges them that matters, and I happen to like this re-arrangement!
I am not stupid (?)... "Who's to blame" needs to change key/chords in the chorus... it is the weakest song on the album by a mile (or kilometer)... but the rest of the CD more than makes up for this... You will not regret buying this album. Yes, it has flaws... but it also has immense beauty, power and majesty - what more do you want in a progressive album? I love it!

THIS MUSIC IS AWESOME. NEO PROG LIVES ON. MARILLION CAN GO ON MAKING CRAPPY HOGARTHIAN SAP. AT LEAST WE HAVE BEAN AND THE GANG CARRYING ON THE TRADITION. MAN, E.T. IS GREAT ON THE KEYS!!! I ALMOST TOOK OFF ONE STAR FOR STEALING BITS FROM AWAKEN. BUT WHO CARES! A GREAT LISTEN.

Being a prog music freak a friend recomended Pallas. I was totally impressed. They fit in with my Arena's, IQ's etc. The CD was recorded very well. I was brought up on Yes and Genesis. If you like any of these bands, The Cross and the Crucible will fit right into your catalogue. The keyboard playing is awesome, along with harmonic guitar riffs, and strong drum playing.

This album probably shouldn't get 4 stars, however as it is so much better than Pallas previous effort (Beat the Drum), I will give it the 4 stars. Now, if you try to compare it to the bands earlier stuff (The Sentinel, The Wedge e.t.c) it unfortunately doesn't come close. Those early albums are simply brilliant and The Cross and the Crucible just won't quite make it to those heights.
Still, worth getting for all fans of neo-prog, and light hard rock.

"Cross And The Crucible" is a concept album of sorts that explores the history of science verses religion and their often adversarial relationship in world events. I actually find the concept interesting subject matter and the band seem to present both sides about evenly. It is interesting in looking at other reviews for this album they really seem to be mixed. In fact some really seem to dislike this disc. To my ears it is an improvement over their previous effort "Beat The Drum" and I really like it for the most part. Yes there are a few passages here and there where the band pretty blatantly emulates Yes and Peter Gabriel, but it is not to a point where it is what I would call a rip off. Some complain that Pallas are not prog enough, others claim that they are not metal enough. To me the band finds a rather nice niche between progressive rock, pop, and metal and this album pulls everything off nicely. I personally think this is one of the band's stronger albums.

My first impression of this band was, "Is this prog?" Pallas seems to be more evocative of late '70s/early '80s arena rock than they are of neo-prog. In fact, some of these songs bear a strong resemblance to the '80s rock band Dokken, like 'For The Greater Glory'. Another song, 'Who's To Blame' is very good, but isn't what I'd call prog either. "Celebration' is also a good song and is remeniscent of '90s YES, which may or may not be a compliment.

The writing is better than you might find on an '80s metal album. Its more imagination based and not relationship based, which is a plus for me. But the music isn't challenging or intricate, and the musicianship is competant, but not spectacular. Some songs though, are a tad corny in places.

These guys may, at times, remind me of '90s Marillion or IQ, but aren't equal to them in terms of writing and performance. Performance wise, I wished the music had more balls to it. Don't get me wrong, I like keyboards (If I didn't, I'd hate prog), but the guitar was so distant on this album. Whether its that way all the time I don't know, since this is my first Pallas CD. A stronger guitar presence would have given this somewhat fanciful material some much needed teeth. Given that it sounded like a keyboard driven album, it wasn't as melodic as say, Spock's Beard or IQ.

I'm not saying that there is no place for Pallas in prog music. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort to listen to these guys. The vocals are easy on the ear and aren't the aquired taste that some prog vocalists are. Its just that my interest in this style of music waned about 15 years ago. There were (and are) too many bands out there who do this style of music better.