THE CROSS & THE CRUCIBLE

I admit it; I wasn't a fan of their last album. From a band that had produced such awe-inspiring albums in the past, I had expected much more. Therefore, it was with some degree of cynicism that I put this on the player. I actually expected to be disappointed. Now I have been wrong many times in the past, and will be again in the future, so I am very happy to report that I was way off the mark with this. It is a superb album, one that every proghead will have to put firmly in their collection.

I saw Alan Reed the other night and I said to him that I wasn't sure how I yet rated this against 'The Sentinel' and he felt that it was very easy, this one is better. That is a bold statement given how progheads view both 'The Sentinel' and 'The Wedge', but one that he may well have grounds for.

It has great vocals, great melodies, and sweeping passages that show that Pallas are still masters of orchestral thematic prog music. At times, they come across with hints of Pink Floyd, but for the most part, they are their own band, and for that their fans will be very pleased indeed. There are a few longer tracks for the band to get their teeth into, and considering that three of the guys were in the original first stable line-up of 1979, the sound is fresh and inviting. Pallas are most definitely back.

Originally appeared in Feedback #63, July 01