CROSS – Wake Up Call

Let it be said, Sweden is the new tumbling ground for ’70s-styled Progressive Rock. In the last couple of years there have been a lot of good releases coming from this country; most of them from the native label Progress Records. Cross is one of the “veterans” of this particular type of music in Sweden, and it’s now 24 years since they released their debut album. In 2012 they have released their 9^th full-length studio album, Wake Up Call.

Cross’ music is extremely reminiscent of Yes, both arrangement-wise and the multi-layered vocal harmonies. Check out, for instance, the opening of “Human Resolution.” The vocal harmonies here could easily fit on any album in the Yes discography. It’s a great album opener, and really sets the mood for the record with a little bit of everything Cross has to offer.

The music on Wake Up Call has a very symphonic feel to it, much due to the many layers of keyboards, but also due to the addition of violins. Cross also consists of technically skilled musicians — something they show on the instrumental track “Racing Spirits.” Along with “Falling Beyond,” this is arguably the real highlight of the record.

The song “Now” is a bonus track originally written by band leader Hansi Cross back in 2001. According to the press release, “… the 9/11 incident forced them to postpone the recording of a new album and Hansi decided to donate it to Spektrum instead. But, in the back of his mind, he always wondered how it would have turned out had it been recorded by Cross.” The song deviates a bit from the rest of the songs on this record, and that might be the reason why they decided to label it a “bonus track.” After all, the song was written during a different era.

The album lacks a bit of variation and often ends up in parts with layers of keyboards and vocals. This might give you a feeling of déjà vu after a while, but overall Cross has released a solid album and deserves much praise for their work. However, their musical style may somewhat appeal to only a niche of fans and those who are into ’70s-styled Progressive Rock. Others might look the other way.

Track list: Human Resolution / Remembrance / Falling Beyond / Racing Spirits / Waking Up
Bonus track: Now (Spektrum cover)