DAWN OF ETERNITY

By now the melancholic neo-prog bands that update their sound by playing heavier, with more modern electronics and anthemic choruses, seem as common as the pompous prog metal bands of the Dream Theater variety. Crystal Palace on their latest CD delivers a predictable but enjoyable variation on that style, somewhere between Porcupine Tree and fellow Germans RPWL (who have taken them under their label wing), with some plunderings from U2 and Pink Floyd, of course. Music alternates between softer and heavier passages, with the emotional vocals, competent lyrics (and the band name) you'd think this is a UK band, but no. I understand that they have been toiling in obscurity for 20 years, but hopefully this album will introduce them to a larger audience.