IN A WORLD

If Peter Collins would have produced Yes' Tales from Topographic Oceans or had Trevor Rabin produced Kansas' Song for America, In A World is what you come up with. Cranking out a more tuneful version of thinking man's music, Cryptic Vision draws from both the classic and modern eras of progressive rock, as well as some AOR sensibility provided; which the latter forbids the album from going into the 'sleep' factor that many bands wish to go into to present a 'mood' of some sorts; this band knows how to present hooks and catchiness within the scope of extended and technical pieces. Extended pieces such as "Power to Mend," "The Balance" and the title track are what can be considered the epical tracks on the album, marking all types of musical elements and atmospheres within the same scheme of things; but it is cuts like the piano laden power ballad "All Along," the chaotic "The Space in Between," and the synth driven melodic rock "Find" which stand out amongst the record's many opuses, for which each song has personality of it's own. Complimented by guest musicians Alan Morse (Spock's Beard) and Kansas violinist David Ragsdale, the music is strong progressive rock; so again, it's the fact that these guys put their emphasis on melodies AND playing that keeps the music intriguing. I have to also hand it to co-founder Todd Plant, whose voice really fits well into this band; his vocal style is different from what he did in Millennium, but he pulls it off. In A World is one of the strongest releases from the art rock aura to surface 'in this world,' making it accessible much beyond the 'just' the progressive rock realm of things. Added: July 8th 2006

Reviewer: Tommy Hash