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CRYPTIC VISION — In A World

Although this album has nothing on it that makes it sound like a seventies styled prog-rock album, the fact is undeniable that those influences shine through throughout. Although this album does not sound like anything like what the more contemporary prog bands are doing, it has their influences shining through. Although this album is wholly original, it is unquestionably, successfully and pleasurably an out and out, bona-fide prog-rock classic. Everything about this album reeks of class and quality - the singing, playing, production, writing, arranging - the works. Many of the songs have you recalling Yes and Spocks Beard, while all sorts of glimpses of other influences occur along the way. Although 12 tracks are listed, this plays out as one vast seventy two minute concept epic. The breadth of vision that created this album is positively staggering - it starts out sedately and to say it builds as it goes on, would be an understatement. I don't think I've heard a prog album in recent years with as much of a perfect set of dynamics as this - slowly but surely the intensity is increased so that you get songs mid-way that are really on fire - but then they'll drop back almost organically for the next phase of the process to begin. Throughout the album there are tons of instrumental passages where the lead guitars and synths, mellotron and keys just soar into life and have the hairs on the back of your neck standing up, time after time. The vocals exude all sorts of qualities - from Peter Gabriel to Steve Perry - it's one of the most impassioned performances you'll ever hear. The lyrics are excellent - lyrics that you'll listen to as much as any other aspect of the album. On top of that, the harmony and multi-tracked vocals are finer than anything any of the aforementioned bands could come up with. Then the production - perfection, it surely is as it allows you to hear every facet of the music, crystalline and fragile when soft, then every subtlety and nuance of the passages where harmony vocals, guitars, synths and rhythm section are all piled high and wide. Arranged to perfection also, the whole thing flows so naturally, you are totally taken along with it and find yourself enjoying it so much that you're simply unaware that you're spending well over an hour listening to it - the mark of an exceptional album, for sure. This is the sound of prog-rock in the year 2006, taken to a whole new level - the benchmark by which a modern day prog-rock album should be judged.