RESET

What a very disappointing album.

I ve got a promo copy but i think i won,t make the effort to have an original.

I ve listened to their firs albums and they are a quite good neo prog material ..with influences of Pendragon,Arena and Marillion(Fish era).

I don,t know why they didn,t stay in that way.

They made the move to the hard prog....but this is not an original hard prog....is a kind of clone of today,s Porcupine Tree with elements of Dream Theater and may be Opeth.

Sorry but i think they will fall to the hole of the mediocre hard prog rock bands.

Only 2 stars for me.

16 or so years after their formation, German act Crystal Palace release their fifth full length album, some 4 years after their previous acoustic effort and 7 years after their last full fledged studio effort.

And while their previous excursions have been closer to vintage neo-prog in style this album marks a change for the band, who have opted to explore much more of a Porcupine Tree inspired style this time around. And more specifically, a variety of this style pretty close to what can be found on the "Fear of a Blank Planet" CD. As the album evolves Crystal Palace manage to blend their old style with their new approach, and while the opening cuts may fail in innovation and creativity this aspect gets better as the album unfold. The later tracks isn't as engaging and well made as the opening efforts though, where Damaged Good in particular suffers from a slight lack of range and some minor pronouncation issues from lead vocalist Strutz, highlighted by what I regard as a somewhat flawed chorus segment.

When that is said, there are many fine efforts offered on this production, and the piano-driven ballad Cinescope Dreams that ends this disc is a treat, featuring neat symphonic backdrops and strings besides the well crafted piano motif explored throughout. Fans of acts like Porcupine Tree and Sylvan might want to give this one a shot.

On Reset, Crystal Palace go for longer song structures and a darker mood, while still opting for accessibility over challenging the listener. In contrast to 2003's Psychedelic Sleep, songs here take a while to develop and aim for a kind of an epic feel. Shorter tracks like Drowning on Dry Land also show the band's 80's synth-pop influences with their melancholic and romantic moods. And while songs here have their moments (love the ascetic riff transitioning to the main part of The Darkest Hour, for example), this reviewer feels that the epic songwriting and emotional vocals remain a work in progress at this stage, culminating in an awesome fashion on 2016's Dawn of Eternity.