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░ ██ ██ Artist: Cross ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Da Capo █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2014 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-04-01 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Progress Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Brand new album from the great CROSS, our Swedish █
█ friends! In their own words: ôNew album containing █
█ new recordings of some older favourites, this time █
█ with a production reminding of the symphonic █
█ sounding previous album "Wake Up Call".ö Opening █
█ with ôFireö from their Second Movement album. The █
█ rest of the newborn tracks seem to come █
█ (originally) from their Cross III release! The new █
█ sound is light, clear (as in crystal) and █
█ particularly well suited for the symphonic prog of █
█ Cross, however I would have loved a heavier █
█ base/sound for the bass and drums all around!! But █
█ hey who am I but the reviewer, what do I know ?! █
█ That said, I think this is a fresh introduction █
█ into the great catalogue of Cross and their fine █
█ music, especially for those of you whom utters: █
█ Cross ??. █
█ ôFireö has all the trimmings of an epic symphonic █
█ tune, not only time wise, but also music that █
█ varies, changes in feel, time signatures and █
█ emotion, bringing forth the excellent lead guitars █
█ of Hansi Cross █
█ (Guitars/keyboards/production/composition & █
█ vocals) I love his guitar playing, which is often █
█ beautiful, with just the right amount of tone and █
█ feel, not unlike a certain David Gilmour! However █
█ I wish he would, just once in awhile, let loose █
█ and go all in, with a blistering burning solo (not █
█ talking about endless boring shredding) and he █
█ actually shows a glimpse of this - once or twice █
█ on ôFireö and ô Visionsö!! Wonderful!! The multi █
█ musical talent of Hansi Cross, also shows in his █
█ elaborate keyboards washes and themes that frames █
█ the symphonic music of Cross excellently!! Aided █
█ by the fine bass & Taurus play by Thomas █
█ Christensen, the solid drumming of Tomas Hjort & █
█ finally guest Mats Bender on Keyboards. So, as █
█ mentioned, a fine introduction for newcomers to █
█ the musical world of CROSS, with new editions of █
█ ôoldö songs!! █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Cross have been described as a æneo-progÆ band █
█ from Sweden, headed by multi-instrumentalist, █
█ Hansi Cross, which have been going since 1988, █
█ although this is the first time I have heard the █
█ band. The working title for their latest album was █
█ X as it is their tenth album, but this was changed █
█ to Da Capo as it is essentially an album of old █
█ songs that the band have re-recorded. █
█ Reviewing albums for The Progressive Aspect is an █
█ interesting role in which there are times when one █
█ is given the opportunity to hear favourite █
█ artistsÆ new material and give oneÆs thoughts. █
█ There are other times when one volunteers for █
█ artists one has not heard before or have not █
█ previously appreciated, which can be more █
█ challenging but has usually been rewarding as the █
█ process of reviewing should impel more thorough █
█ listening to do justice to the efforts and art of █
█ the artists. I have grown to love albums this way █
█ that upon first listening left me rather perplexed █
█ or unmoved. In short I am underlining that I █
█ always try to give an album a fair crack, and █
█ never seek to be too negative or disrespectful of █
█ the artist producing the music. Therefore, it █
█ almost pains me to say that this was an album █
█ which simply completely failed to hit the target █
█ for me in any way. █
█ The press release informs us that this is an album █
█ of songs originally recorded in the period 1990 û █
█ 93, which was a surprise to me as it sounds more █
█ like the early 80Æs in style and production. The █
█ album commences clearly with some ambition in an █
█ attempt for a rousing anthemic piece called Fire. █
█ Sadly, I would have to say that the attempt at █
█ grandeur fails, undermined by a æparpingÆ and, █
█ from my perspective, irritating and plodding █
█ keyboard sound straight out of the 80Æs. The █
█ lyrics are simplistic, but reach greater depths █
█ later. The song does reach a more impressive █
█ finale with some good guitar playing over a █
█ keyboard backing, but ultimately it lacks real █
█ fire and passion. Following track Dream Reality █
█ opens again with that now familiar signature 80Æs █
█ keyboard fanfare, and plods along without really █
█ engaging my interest. There is a slower and █
█ quieter æbridgeÆ section with Steve Howe-esque █
█ slide guitar sounds, but the song soon returns to █
█ the earlier keyboard strains, before Cross climax █
█ with some squealing guitars. There appears little █
█ drama or flow to the song, which does have the █
█ feel of bits being stuck together, and the reality █
█ is less dream and more nightmare. █
█ The mid-point of the album has the promisingly █
█ titled instrumental Changing. Sadly, for this █
█ reviewer thereÆs no sign of any change in the █
█ direction or quality of this album, with yet more █
█ parping 80Æs keyboards very reminiscent of the █
█ opening track. Visions follows and we are treated █
█ once again to the same dated keyboard sounds, █
█ indicating the vision here is very much in █
█ hindsight and back a few decades. The finale of █
█ the album is the obligatory epic Courage which █
█ continues to highlight the lacklustre vocals. █
█ However, with lines such as: ôClaiming █
█ Corroboration, By Demanding Adorationö it is easy █
█ to understand why it may be difficult investing █
█ such lyricism with much emotion or passion. The █
█ track does become mildly more interesting with a █
█ darker section, evoking a sense of Hammer Horror, █
█ and possibly the best part of the album is the █
█ more jaunty acoustic section commencing with the █
█ line ôNo more silenceàö. However, it is far too █
█ little too late for this reviewer, and when the █
█ album concludes with the unfortunate words: ôWe █
█ keep on moving on and onà and onö one cannot help █
█ thinking æI know the feelingæ! █
█ Renowned Prog podcaster David Elliott from The █
█ European Perspective once politely said of an █
█ album which had not impressed him ôItÆs not aimed █
█ at meö. Perhaps that is a sentiment I should echo █
█ here, but I am wondering at whom the album is █
█ aimed in general. It is definitely not █
█ æprogressiveÆ or challenging at all in style or █
█ ambition, and does not seek to break new ground. █
█ This is an album that is played relatively well █
█ and clearly originates from and harks back to an █
█ era 25 years ago and more. There are some fine █
█ bands out there drawing on or continuing that █
█ neo-prog style, but in my view this album █
█ completely lacks the imagination, emotion and █
█ power of many of those bandsà and I return to my █
█ thought û who is this aimed at? █
█ In all honesty, I have heard no other albums by █
█ Cross. This album may not be representative of █
█ their material and is simply an album of █
█ re-recorded old songs that no longer represent █
█ their music. Sadly, it has certainly put me off █
█ wanting to hear anymore albums by this band. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Fire 13:56 ░
░ 2. Dream Reality 9:08 ░
░ 3. Changing 1:36 ░
░ 4. Visions 7:06 ░
░ 5. Courage 14:25 ░
░ 46:11 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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