THE CROSS & THE CRUCIBLE

"The Cross & The Crucible" is a dynamic, richly orchestrated set of neo-progressive rock brilliance from genre stalwarts Pallas. Grounded in the post-Genesis (and Marillion, and IQ, etc.) mix of guitars and keyboards that characterizes neo-prog, Pallas' sound is familiar yet energized, an enormously compelling synthesis of moody, dark-tinged drama, nimble rhythms, and edgy rock sparks. But to try to grasp "The Cross & The Crucible" merely by grasping its individual performances --as crisp and effective as they are-- is to miss the glorious big picture that Pallas presents. All the component parts of the record are superb, but this album unfolds as far more than the sum of its parts. It is one of the most beautiful prog surprises in recent memory.

Pallas' compositions are melodic, unfailingly engaging, and surpassingly evocative, with a coherent sense of drama that unifies and elevates the entire record. They also possess that most precious of rarities in the cerebral world of progressive rock --genuine, deep, readily accessible emotion-- which makes the album a high-impact experience from the very first listen. The group's maturity and confidence shines on every aspect of the record; they don't need abrasive, gratuitously challenging instrumentation to make their statement. They command both silence and sound: Their sparse passages linger but never lose energy; their peaks of intensity never contravene the flow of the record as a whole. Highlights are everywhere: the foreboding quiet of album-opener "The Big Bang"; the exoticism of "For The Greater Glory"; the downtempo, Celtic-influenced feel of "Who's To Blame"; the metallic riffage that opens "Towers Of Babble"; the classic melodic, AOR-ish neo-prog of "Celebration!"; and many sections of the lengthy, polychromatic epics "Midas Touch" and the title track.

Every song is a triumph on its own, but even more than that, their convergence is mindblowing (in a sweet, melodic way). As a result, "The Cross & The Crucible" is at once creatively artsy yet appealingly accessible, an extraordinarily evocative success. It may not be quite metallic enough for some in the prog audience --its keyboard-drenched feel certainly derives more from '70s Genesis and '80s Marillion than from the crunching guitar drive of '90s Dream Theater (or heavier bands)-- but albums this emotional, this beautiful, are rare events. Listeners who appreciate the accessible side of classic neo-prog should not miss out.