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An enjoyable progressive rock album, especially the vocals of Alan Reed,and the Gilmour-like guitar playing of Niall Mathewson.The “Midas Touch” is the highlight for me,this song has it all,especially the excellent keyboard playing of Ronnie Brown.”Whos to Blame” is a beautiful pastoral song.This record is worth checking out,lots of variety,and interesting lyrics.Well done.

Total Time: 63:40

When one talks about Marillion, chances are you’ll think about IQ, Pendragon and Twelfth Night in the same instance. To a much lesser extent the name of Scottish proggers Pallas will spring to mind, although they kicked off as being probably the most “prog” of the bunch, having worked with acclaimed producer Eddie Offord (Yes, ELP) on the Patrick Woodroffe packaged debut Sentinel. That was 1984. The original vocalist was replaced by Alan Reed who recorded The Wedge in 1986. Produced by Mick Glossop (UFO) the vinyl album shifted 100,000 units in Europe alone.
Although Pallas delivered the odd track for many a compilation album, it took the lads no less than thirteen years before their third album was released. That was Beat The Drum, an album containing many ideas that dated back more than a decade, yet holding that typical Pallas trademark throughout. The fire was back in the band and with loads of positive feedback and enthusiasm, the band started from scratch like a painter who has been given a blank canvas. The result is a new painting called The Cross & The Crucible, sporting nine new audio images, all based upon the history and the endeavours and fate of humankind. The band is interested in the contradictions of the human individual able to achieve wonderful things at one time, yet kill and destroy the next. The irony of religion, which first teaches things like love and peace, but which has killed millions throughout the centuries is the main theme on this brand new album.
Because Pallas is an album band they can kick off this concept album with a weird sounding track. The Big Bang is indeed a sound collage of noise building up the tension so as to almost explode. Fierce bass playing finally takes us out of the ambient pool in order to introduce a more rhythmic approach. The song builds and builds and by adding huge choir sounds, it forms the ideal counterpoint for some great guitar solos. The underlying synths together with the military drum sounds turn For The Greater Glory into a very dramatic whole. The shouting throughout the song kind of reminds me of Pink Floyds The Wall. Towards the end of the song the atmosphere turns towards Pendragon, what with Nialls fine guitar playing blending nicely with Ronnies keyboards. Who’s To Blame forms a nice resting point, being built around a fragile acoustic guitar that kind of steers the song into Moody Blues territory. The Blinding Darkness incorporates some ethnic rhythms, of which you can make comparisons to Peter Gabriel’s earlier work.
Towers Of Babble sounds very much like Steve Howe, and to be honest, some more Yes-like ditties will emerge towards the end of this album. Real violins are added to give the song an even more original hook, whilst a choir steps in to add a certain solemn element to this great composition. The moment church organ sets in, the song itself steers towards Yes around the Going For The One period. The same kind of approach creeps into Generations, which is clearly not sung by Alan Reed. It is very, very Yes-like where build up and arrangement is concerned. Both bass and guitar get so close to their Yes equivalent that at times you’d think Pallas has joined forces with Anderson and friends, or maybe old pal Eddie Offord gave them an old reel of unissued Yes material ?
The absolute highlight on this album certainly has to be the lengthy Midas Touch containing so many different atmospheres, its as if they were different chapters in a book. When the bass guitar roars its ugly head and Niall puts some slide guitar on top, well, its like Squire and Howe are at it again. Playful synths complement the arrangement, but suddenly its like you are listening to the end section of Awaken, as the breaks, the guitar, and the bass really sound like true Yes before piano and strings end this remarkable song. The album closes with a positive song in the form of Celebration! which once again has that thundering bass guitar as the backbone for the uptempo end conclusion. The build up here is very Genesis-like from around the Duke period, adding tubular bells towards the end in order to end in a majestic way, a well deserved ending to a milestone in the Pallas history and another proof that this band certainly deserves a second chance. Without any doubt the bands very best effort to date. Personally Id like to see the band deliver more material like the second part of the album as to me there is a difference between the first five songs and the latter four. The final four are much more “vintage” prog sounding that the first five, but then again maybe I’m becoming too old for this game anyway?

Track Listing: The Big Bang (3:08) / The Cross & The Crucible (9:17) / For The Greater Glory (7:37) / Whos To Blame (4:45) / The Blinding Darkness (6:41) / Towers Of Babble (8:11) / Generations (5:21) / Midas Touch (11:16) / Celebration (7:24)
Musicians: Alan Reed – vocals, Niall Mathewson – guitars, Ronnie Brown – keyboards, Graeme Murray – bass, Colin Frazer – drums
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5.0 out of 5 stars ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS OF PROG ROCK 2001,
I like and listen the progressive rock since 25 years ago (Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd, ELP my favourites that time!).
After “Beat the Drum”, a very good work, Pallas come back with this masterpiece. With this album (the 4th) Pallas really growth significantly. It contains influences and elements of early days of prog and also new and modern elements. This album is powerful, moving, very melodic. You must to listen several times the CD to understand and find the rich variety of the music. The sound and production are very great, especially the drums and bass. Compositions and performance: 9.4, Production: 9, artwork: 9.5. All songs excellents, but the highlights to me are “The Cross and the Crucible”, “For the Greater Glory” (maybe the best of the album and at the prog rock scene in this year), “Towers of Babble” and “Midas Touch”. The best albums in the prog rock the last years: 1996 was for Pendragon with “The Masquerade Overture”; 1997 was for IQ with “Subterranea”; 1998: Arena with “The Visitor”; 1999: Dream Theater with “Metropolis 2”; 2000: Transatlantic with his album debut “SMTPe”. Definitely “Cross & the Crucible” and the new work of Transatlantic “Bridge across forever” are the best albums of prog rock of 2001 until now, believe me!. And for last, a explanation: somebody (the record label) said that Pallas is Progressive metal (Dream Theater, Symphony X, Shadow Gallery, Vanden Plas, Ayreon for example). This is false. The style is progressive rock symphonic (Pendragon, IQ, Arena).
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5.0 out of 5 stars FABULOUS RETURN TO FORM!!!,
This is the best release the lads have done since “The Sentinel” really fab production on this one! Full of the dramatic passages Pallas fans have loved for ages. Nice to have Graeme featured as lead vocalist again on a track. Truly a great release from a great neo-prog band
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5.0 out of 5 stars It is so different!,
Metal symphonic or progressive? It is all that but softened by ambient sounds. I think it is more in the genre of Arena (the Immortal). This album is supported by excellent lyrics.
Singer (Alan Reed)has so much presence, his voice is a criss-cross between Mark Hollis (talk Talk) and Demis Roussos (oups! what a comparison! not as harmonic as Demis).

My favorite song is “Towers of babble” particularly when the organ solo starts and after. It is an excellent buy.
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5.0 out of 5 stars This is a serious grower!!!!!,
I can’t see what the knockers are on about… This is a stunning album on any level! Yes, there are nods in the direction of Rush, Peter Gabriel, Yes, et al, BUT surely that does not detract from the overall beauty of this album? I agree with the reviewer who said that Midas Touch was the best track, but I also like Towers of Babel, Big Bang (with its allusion to Mozart), and the title trac (CATC)… The whole point is, its easy to say that such-and-such a band is NOT Genesis, or Marillion, or whoever… but to say that is to miss the point! This IS Pallas… and they are charting a course that a multitude of bands are no longer sailing… you are allowed to think they are derivative, BUT they are brilliant… There are only 12 notes in music… it is the order that one re-arranges them that matters, and I happen to like this re-arrangement!
I am not stupid (?)… “Who’s to blame” needs to change key/chords in the chorus… it is the weakest song on the album by a mile (or kilometre)… but the rest of the CD more than makes up for this… You will not regret buying this album. Yes, it has flaws… but it also has immense beauty, power and majesty – what more do you want in a progressive album? I love it!
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5.0 out of 5 stars bean o rama
THIS MUSIC IS AWESOME. NEO PROG LIVES ON. MARILLION CAN GO ON MAKING CRAPPY HOGARTHIAN SAP. AT LEAST WE HAVE BEAN AND THE GANG CARRYING ON THE TRADITION. MAN, E.T. IS GREAT ON THE KEYS!!! I ALMOST TOOK OFF ONE STAR FOR STEALING BITS FROM AWAKEN. BUT WHO CARES! A GREAT LISTEN.
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5.0 out of 5 stars great prog CD,
Being a prog music freak a friend recommended Pallas. I was totally impressed. They fit in with my Arenas, IQs etc. The CD was recorded very well. I was brought up on Yes and Genesis. If you like any of these bands, The Cross and the Crucible will fit right into your catalogue. The keyboard playing is awesome, along with harmonic guitar riffs, and strong drum playing.