TALES FROM THE FORGOTTEN REALM

'Tales from the Forgotten Realm' is an entirely instrumental symphonic prog release, recorded and performed by US-native musician Daniel Cross, a newcomer into the prog scene who focuses explicitly on the possibilities of his keyboards, as portrayed on his inaugural studio album. The man also plays some drums and bass, although these instruments are more complementary to the keyboard and synth sounds, rather than his main emploi. The composition on here are usually in the 10-minute mark and are thematically focused on some Medieval tales, although no lyrics are sang all throughout. A lot of quirky mellotron-dominated passages exemplify the dark undertones of this fascinating album that occasionally reminisces a lot of 70s classic prog. 'Tales From the Forgotten Realm' is an interesting release and a fine listen, but it would be much more fascinating to imagine Daniel Cross' compositions in a band setting as his musical direction could bring an interesting gloomier edge, I imagine, to a classic prog-oriented collective. The sounds on here are quite minimalistic in terms of textures and layering, as what you hear is exactly what is played, giving this album a sort of Arts & Crafts vibe.