"This is pretty wild stuff. Layer after layer of keyboards, two drummers, bass, guitar and
vocals doing darkly melodic prog with a Peter Hammill-meets-prog-funk in spots. I love it!
A song like Take-off has a little bit reminiscent of Hammill, Yes, Camel and Zappa all in one piece.
You own it to yourself to get Gaze. It's a no-brainer folks!" 
:: PROGRESSION ::

"The eleven tracks (66 minutes) range from quite good to excellent and makes this CD into one
of the strongly recommended ones on the present sympho/prog market"
:: NEBULA TIMES ::

"Heavy symf in the U.K. tradition"
:: TARKUS ::

"The fact that the bitter Scandinavian cold is good for the composing talent is once again proven
with the band Cross who with Gaze deliver their fourth CD. In the keyboard section I hear
a little bit of Dave Greenslade (one of my all time favourites!) whilst in the darker passages
in true crimson style are alternated with the more "modern" sound of Rush, IQ, Echolyn,
Spock's Beard and Saga and a pinch of UK.
The outstanding guitar work sometimes brings the music in the direction of It Bites however
Cross offers their very own style.
All by all a very strong release and a very pleasant surprise by a band i never before had
the pleasure to encounter"
:: PROG 'N' ROLL ::

"The new album gives us music that is both thrilling and powerful"
:: FRENCH PROG MAGAZINE ::

"One of the most exciting albums for a very long time. It is worth buying for the final track alone, Extrovert, whose song format is simular to Starless with a phenomenal finale. Very highly recommended".
:: WONDROUS STORIES ::

"Cross, the man who gave the band it's name, does all the guitar work and sounds like Holdsworth/Fripp. There are no favourite songs I can point. All of the songs are of same high standard".
:: BACKGROUND MAGAZINE ::

"I'm impressed! It's a perfect mix between the prog-rock of the seventies
with some neoprog influences added to it".
:: MARGEN ::

"...extremely boring..."
:: PROGRESSOR ::

"As a vocalist Cross is like-or-hate type who press his abilities to the edge. I like his somewhat gritty sound. At this moment I have listened to Gaze more then ten times and it's an album that find it's way into the bunch of albums that I (without hesitation) like to listen to".
:: THE COMPANY SCANDINAVIA ::

"The album sounds somewhat dark somewhat heavy, but also very powerful. Quality of the compositions is very good with the longer track  Extrovert entertaining to the end."
:: DUTCH PROGRESSIVE ROCK PAGE ::

"Extrovert is a truly impressive piece of music. I advice you to give 'Gaze' a serious listening too, track back to Dream Reality, and then - like me - sit back and wait for the next Cross album."
:: ALTERNATE VIEW::

^ Top of page

"Another stunning Cross album. If you haven't discovered Cross yet, I really think you are
missing something rather special"
:: ROCKHAVEN: ALTERNATE VIEW ::

"Cross is a Swedish band based in Stockholm led by Hansi Cross (guitars, synthesizers
& vocals). They play intelligent symphonic neoprog based on a heavy yet melodic guitars
and atmospheric, swirling keyboards.
The other members are Tomas Hjort, whose distinct drumming often adds an even more
bombastic feel to the overall sound, and Lollo Andersson (basses, taurus).
To me this band was a very pleasant surprise indeed. I can't say what their earlier works
sound like, but this, in my view, is a very competent release. The musicians are solid and
the vocals of Hansi Cross are also to my liking.
To sum this up this is an album which I can honestly recommend to any neoprog fan and
also, to some extent, to those into more traditional progrock"
:: FIRST LIGHT ::

"An excellent piece of work!
:: ATROPOS ::

"This trio of prog-rocksters, I assure you, is very impressive with a heavy influence of
Rush but more progressive 70's style with great keyboards and guitar structures.
7 songs of downright good music and recommended for guitar enthusiasts as well"
:: QUINTESSENCE/PROGRESSIVIEWS ::

"There is surely an intentional influence behind this album, with some Mellotron,
Taurus pedals and some other vintage keyboards, guitar sounds and arrangements
that sounds as the old GENESIS.
The music is loud, with a rich sound and sometimes with the addition of some harder
elements as in, for instance, "The Core" which also contains a small FM edge in the
vocals that can also be heard from time to time in other parts of the album.
"Changed Reality" has some really fine moments with luxurious keyboards mixed
with deep bass pedals. "
"Awakening" contains a very good and long guitar solo sounding like Hackett did
in the pass. Very good work here by Hansi.
He does the same in "Welcome to Utopia", the last and longest song on the album
clocking in at 14:16 minutes.
It's a very fine album that I Highly Recommend."
:: PROGLANDS::

"Cross is a progressive rockband with a dark sound and actually hard to compare.
They have their own style which will be appreciated by most rocklovers. Opener "Bleeding
in silence" is a good example of their sound, because this song starts a bit dark and 90's,
but towards the end it's a good neo-prog song with even some 80's typed keys/synths!
Another worthy addition for the fans of progressive rock, although CROSS doesn't sound
like your typical neo-prog act, but that's maybe the reason why you should buy this!"
(Points: 8 out of 10)
:: STRUTTER MAGAZINE ::

"If you like the Swedish school (bands as Galleon and Twin Age) you must listen to
"Secrets" too. Nice progrock with long melodic guitarsolos and a lot of keyboards".
:: PROGVISIONS ::

"The highlight comes right at the end with the long "Welcome To Utopia". A solitary synth
introduces the song creating an ideal soundtrack for an imaginary film. The drums kind
of settle themselves around Hansi's guitar solo. Then it's a gradual build up in the vocal
department, culminating in the strongest chorus on the album. Towards the end Hansi
once again illustrates what a fine guitarist he really is"
:: PROGRESSIVE WORLD: PROGNROLL ::

"4.5 out of 5"
:: METALHAMMER POLAND ::

"I liked this album from the first time I played it, and even after three weeks of fairly
listening I'm not beginning to tire of it, quite the opposite in fact. In view of this I have
no hesitation at all in suggesting that if you enjoy good progressive music that makes
good use of both guitar and keyboards that you give "Secrets" a listen - the chance are
that you won't be dissapointed"
:: NEW HORIZONS ::

."..a very good progressive record sounding a bit like Genesis directly after Gabriel left. If you like that kind of prog, don't hesitate this may be a diamond to you."
:: LEVEL 11 ::

"You should listen to the 14 minutes "Welcome to Utopia". You will not be disappointed and you'll notice that Cross doesn't betry his Swedish background, a prolific nation when it comes to high quality progressive rock. Check this out!"
:: SARABANDES ::

"Swedish multi-instrumentalist Hansi Cross has been around for a long time, offering us some outstanding symphonic gems over the years. Genesis influences are apparent in the underlying keyboard segments for "Bleeding In Silence" before the song becomes more complex once mellotron sets in and drum breaks are scattered all over the place.
However, if you think Cross is merely a Genesis clone, then think again, ecause "The Core" not only holds some King Crimson influences but contains enough time-signature jumps to keep you busy for the rest of the year. The guitar parts in "Awakening" once again come very close to the best of Steve Hackett, with an atmosphere to be found in the A Trick Of The Tail vein. Also "Changed Reality" still has those Tony Banks arrangements, whilst the hoarse voice of Hansi complements the music perfectly.
:: PROGNOSE ::

"To my ears "Secrets" is definitly the best Cross album so far.
A good mix between 70's sound and neoprogressive elements."
:: PROGRESSIVE NEWSLETTER ::

"The bottom line is this: if you like Spock's Beard, Flower Kings, Marillion and basically any
other like prog rock band, you will like CROSS, Hansi Cross's band.
The music on here is fantastic - bright, clourful, with just right the edge. I wouldn't quite call Cross a prog-metal band, but there is an edge to the music - here I would have to say like Arena. Keys take the lead on the instrumental "Awakening", though the guitars are hardly shortchanged. Cross is equal adept at both, though beeing more a guitar fan than a keys fan, it's the guitar i tend to follow more closely - so, yeh, Cross is getting close to be added to my list of guitar heroes. The album closes with the 14-plus minute "Welcome to Utopia". High pitched (but not too high) Tangerine Dream-like keyboards lead us in, parping over a synth wash that take the lead only, after some slightly militaristic percussion comes in. By about two and a half-minutes, it's the singing Cross' guitar. "Utopia goes through several moods, my favourite beeing the harmonizing vocals - von Panajott guests on this track."
:: PROGRESSIVE WORLD: THE MUSIC BOX ::

"This is a worthwhile album of refreshing prog, that blends history of the likes of Wind and wuthering-Genesis (and subsequent eras)/Yes (Drama-era) with more modern neo-prog, albeit in a pleasing variety of rockier guises and avoiding the usual neo-prog trap of each track sounding samey or synthy-slushy." "I'd say those who like Ines, Galleon or Tantalus but also the harder prog rock sound, would definitly enjoy the musicianship"
:: WONDROUS STORIES ::

"The most recent album from Swedish proggers Cross is easily the best of theirs that I have heard to date. Intricate and sometimes quite menacing (check out opener "Bleeding in silence") with good musical interplay. All fans of modern prog will enjoy this album"
:: FEEDBACK ::

"Cross is Hansi (guitars, synthesizers and vocals), Tomas Hjort (drums and percussion), Lollo Andersson (bass) with with a substantial and appreciable aid of Olov Andersson on mellotron (oh yes) and other synthesizers. Some days ago I interchanged e-mails with Hansi and I mentioned to him that his style of playing guitar was very distinguishing, and I maintain it. This makes him, in my humble opinion, one of the best guitarist on the present neoprogressive scene (along with Simon Brezinsky of Polish group Abraxas). Check the solos in "The Core" and "Awakening". Perhaps this has been made before, but the work presented and displayed here is sincere and very well done. I will never get enough of works like this one."
:: EUFONIA ::

"A very good album"
:: ARTROCK ::

"Four years ago i reviewed the CD "Gaze" by a band called CROSS, then unknown to me. in the review i compared them to King Crimson and UK. I really enjoyed that album! Of course I wondered if "Secrets would be as strong as "Gaze. When i heard the opening track "Bleeding in silence" i knew that nothing had changed. They even have grown! The King Crimson-sound has stayed and I also hear some influences of Genesis...just as if Tony Banks had joined the band. Beautiful! But also the rest of the material is outstanding. Especially the final track, named aptly "Welcome to Utopia", is a real beauty. It lasts almost 15 minutes and is a musical showcase of the talents of Cross." **** (Henri)
:: BACKGROUND MAGAZINE ::

"...with Secrets, Swedish band Cross had come up with a winner." "Four of these seven tracks clock in beyond 8 minutes, giving the band plenty of room to excercise its imagination amidst Hansi Cross's tasteful crooning and lyrical guitar work. the album's masterwork is its 14-minute closer "Welcome to Utopia", which also brings out the group's symphonic side. A solid album all around"
:: PROGRESSION ::

"Maybe it would be undescent to use the term neo-progressive rock just to label off Cross as a band.
I think they have lots of more flavour spirit and momental prestigousness than the average bag of neoprog bands have"
:: JPRP ::

^ Top of page

"As with 2000's Secrets, the highlight is the musicianship, which is of a classic modern progressive rock mould, with beautifully expressive guitars (Hansi Cross), shimmering percussion (Tomas Hjort and Cross), throbbing bass lines (Lollo Andersson), and beds of keyboards (Olov Andersson (Spektrum, Grand Stand and Cross). On the whole, Playgrounds is very good release, with a great sound (especially, for me, Cross' guitar playing). It's stronger in the instrumental passages, which make it an album to not overlook."
RATING: 4,5 of 5
::PROGRESSIVE WORLD::

"Hansi has developed the sound of Cross over the years so that although there are sections that one might say has been influenced by Yes, Genesis, IQ and Jadis this is a band that is developing very much its own sound and must be seen as an important band in their own right.
This is one of the prog albums that is very accessible first time it's played, with lots going on, but the more it is played the more the layers become apparent. The guitar is an important instrument, but in the style of Steve Hackett opposed to crunching riffs. Harmony vocals and well-structured songs make this a joy to listen to, and any fan of intricate prog will enjoy this."
:: FEEDBACK ::

"Cross, and especially Hansi Cross is to this reviewer one of Swedens greatest artists. "Playgrounds” once again set the standard. Majectic, powerful and very melodic prog. Long tracks with emotions, which Cross is known and loved for. Once again Hansi Cross mix it perfectly between his guitar, vocals & the ever present majectic power of luch keyboards. Emotions are important and here they, once again, will make you ever so happy. Hansi Cross’ voice is very strong and emotional. Cross is a very strong outfit, who have made many albums over the years. All with great love to the genre. “Playgrounds” establice Cross as one of Swedens greatest acts. Here you’ll get Cross at the top of there great capability to perform and play with power, many bands could learn from. Olov Andersons keys are once again fantastic. “Playgrounds” is fantastic listening to the first time. After several spins, it’s clear that there is more to it, than that. You’ll find layers of great stuff, once you let your mind decide, to give “Playgrounds” another go."
Rating: 4 (of 5) planets
::PROGPLANET::

"With Playgrounds, Swedish band Cross happily brings all the familiar elements to bear: dominant "widdly" keyboard texturing, soaring lead guitar lines, yearningly evocative vocal delivery and meter changes galore. You want pleasing melodies? Plenty of those here. And how about…epics? Those too (of course!), via four tracks clocking in past 7 minutes, inclusing the 10-minute "A new beginning" and the 15-minute "Mesmerizing enterprise".A full, polished and very proggy work.
:: PROGRESSION ::

"One of last year's finest releases was without any doubt the album made by "Spektrum". One of the key members in this project was Hansi Cross. In BM# 82 (June 2003) you could read an interview that I did with this talented musician. I also talked about his own band Cross and the plans of a new band album and now "Playgrounds" is here. It is obvious that the new album is made in the same style as the last couple of Cross albums. This means that we can hear no weak tracks on "Playgrounds". Everything is of a very high level and that's just how it has to be, quality prog of a very high standard. The only negative remark that I can mention is the keyboard sound they used on two tracks ("A New Beginning" and "Mesmerizing Enterprise"). It is the same sound, which they used on the Spektrum album. Listen to the intro of "Now" and you know what I mean. But it will certainly not change my verdict. "Playgrounds" is a very, very, very strong album. Almost a five stars record! Certainly one of the best releases of 2004 so far."
Rating: ****+
:: BACKGROUND MAGAZINE ::


"Swedish 'Cross', a symphonic project from Hansi Cross, has produced through the years a respectable discography. But unlike many other bands, Cross has succeeded to improve the quality throughout each release, and this seems to be the case again with 'Playgrounds'. Influences from the past like Genesis, Yes, King Crimson, etc are now reunited into a very own sound, neo-progressive symphonic rock as this seems to become typical for Scandinavian bands. On this album Cross has found the perfect balance between the vocal and instrumental pieces. Some will have difficulties with that raw, sometimes complaining voice of Hansi, but after a few listenings you will find out that his voice fits perfectly the instrumental parts. The voice of Lizette gives it a Spektrum feeling, although Cross' music is a lot more risky than the aforementioned Swedish musical project of the Progress Records label. The beautiful varied guitar solos remain the most striking on this album, the influence of top guitarists of the seventies is obvious. Playgrounds is probably the best album, that the band has produced so far: a promise for the future."
Rating: 8,5 of 10
:: PROG-NOSE ::

"The heart of the album is "Mesmerizing Enterprize" which has over 15 minutes of everything that a good neoprog piece need. Tension, good solos, passable singing and successful melodies, and in the case of CROSS quality is clearly over the average."
Rating: 8/10 POINTS
:: MELODIC JOURNEY ::


"The 7 songs rocks beautifully hard, have gigantic, majestic mountains of keyboards and wonderful harmonies arranged in tautly organized structures. Ambitious neoprog meeting the stronger conceptions of old school prog putting much attention on the keyboard work and done with great success. At times reminding a bit of Genesis' "Wind and wuthering". but the music is independent actually, has it's own character and flair and a lovely Symphonischen Bombast. In addition to this a driven, complex impact , with dramatic bass runs and hard guitar work is carried through out the entire album. Great compositions, instrumentation rich of variation and an abundance of calmer and louder vital ideas make the songs variated. Above all, the keyboard harmonies, sometimes more dark and sometimes a bit, almost jazzy, and lighter, but always fantastically fat, are easily slipping into the ears. Best example of this is the last track, "Mesmerizing Enterprize", with it's 15 minutes, offering perfect maintenance. I can only recommend."
:: RAGAZZI ::

"The sound on Playgrounds is clearly rooted in the influences of the progressive classics. The Moog and Mellotron sounds, the long guitar and sax solos, the extended instrumentals and the long song lengths yield 7 tracks of rich symphonic music with structures and phrasings that recall both the seventies and the best of nineties-neo. While there's no disputing the quality of the musicianship, and the guitarwork is particularly pleasing. Playgrounds is essentially 6 tracks averaging 9 minutes and a 1-minute intermezzo. The three 10-plus-minute songs are wonderful exercises in well composed, flowing prog." Rating: 4/5
:: SEA OF TRANQUILITY ::

"I can't stand this redicolously bad CD"
:: PROGWERELD ::

"The Neo-prog fans will love songs like "Let the play begin...", "Dejá vu", "...and enter the game" and the 15 minutes counting closing track "Mesmerizing enterprize" (which reveals a big 80s sound by the way!), as they reflect that typical IQ sound every fan of this genre loves so much. With this new album they prove to be one of the better bands in the genre after the leading acts like IQ, ARENA, PENDRAGON and PALLAS."
Points: 8.3 out of 10
:: STRUTTERZINE ::

"Playgrounds contain very good stuff and it's recommended to all IQ, Genesis and Pink Floyd fans."
:: TALES OF WONDER ::


"Already the opener Let The Play Begin convince with it's piano arpeggio and a totally superb refrain. Hansi always seemed an outstanding guitar player and an emotional solo confirmes that phrase already after 3 minutes into the album. Keyboard freaks also get a pre-taste of the quality of the album with the Banks-like synth solo. With the somewhat heavy but nevertheless beautiful, melodic instrumental song Déja Vù even the mellotron friends are served. The opening of A new Beginning reminds strongly of Now on the Spektrum album. Here also the Gilmour-stylish singing of Hansi is noticeable to me, and of course the sensitive guitar sounds. Another highlight is the second instrumental composition The Battle OF Thalÿma. Synthesizer fanfares invite to the opening, before a beautiful melody on guitar and keyboard introduce the main topic of the song. Somehow the refrain melody does not get out of my head. A worthy successor of one the best tracks from "Secrets"- Awakening. It also has an amazing violin-solo and such things is always pleasing to me. After the scarcely 10-minute+ "Enter The Game", which triumphs with a Spektrum-sounding keyboard solo, we occur the short intermezzo "Fjärilshonung" before entering the World of Epics. "Mesmerizing Enterprize" presents itself very variedly. It is rocky, pompous, atmospheric, and at the same time also somewhat catchy. The listener gets much required.
Result: "Playgrounds" is probably the best work from these swedes. Fans of the melodic British influenced prog music will not come around this album. If you like Grand Stand, Galleon or Spektrum, then you might also favor CROSS." Rating: *****
:: PROGGIES ::

"This album has something that forces me to listen to it. Playgrounds will not get the price for the "Most surprising CD of 2004". But is that a must? I drive with one arm on the steering wheel and the other one hanging over the passenger seat and enjoy what I hear. No traffic-jam today? Damn."
:: IO PAGES ::

"The opening song 'Let the play begin' has hard and soft prog-moments that keep you in total suspense. Cross's vocals are also full of emotion, harmony and versatility and remind me of progressive rock's music's finest hour. Two impressive songs that stand out are 'A New Beginning' and 'Mesmerizing Enterprize' which are Cross's most challenging and intriguing, whereas the short instrumental interludes - 'Dejá Vù', 'The Battle Of Thalÿma' - show a different side of the band, the latter sounding like a sinister military procession. Overall Playgrounds is a worthwhile addition to those fans that like other Swedish bands like Galleon or European 80-90s neo-progrock bands."
:: AUDION ::

"This album has a great fluidity and is therefore very pleasant to listen to, especially as the band brilliantly alternates vocal tracks and instrumental pieces. Cross have climbed a notch in the progressive hierarchy, without any doubt reaching the tops in its genre (neo-progressive symphonic), which we prefer."
:: COSMOS MUSIC ::

"Life as a game and the Earth is our playground". That is the theme of the new album from Swedish progband Cross. It seems that working close with the members of Galleon and Grand Stand has inspired him to reach for new goals. On this album he has also enlisted all the members from his side project Spektrum Olov Andersson (Grand Stand) Göran Fors (Galleon) Lizette von Panajott and Göran
Johnsson) plus some new names, Linus Kåse (Brighteye Brison) on saxophone and Hanna on violin. All in all this makes the new Cross album a varied and exciting new album from Swedens prog label no.1,
Progress Records. Old fans will not be disapointed, and new listeners will find references to mainly Genesis, Yes and Van Der Graaf Generator."
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
:: MISSING PIECE::

"Look no further if you're into decent and solid progressive rock"
:: ROCK REPORT ::

"The music leans on the heavier and more majestic side of prog, at times hitting the neo style of latter day IQ and also mid-term Genesis (prior to Hackett's departure), the latter especially notable by the
keyboards and percussion styles and sounds. As with most review comparisons with other bands, they are just comparisons and this should not be taken to mean that Cross is a clone,only that they pick and alter certain snippets of influential sounds and ideas, which is almost inevitable given the influence of the prog greats. Vocals are very good and have that deep rasping element of those of Mr Gabriel, an analogy I should apologise for given my previous comment! Like all the Progress Records catalogue we have heard to date, Playgrounds does not disappoint. Recommended."
:: HAIRLESS HEART HERALD ::

"Cross gives us some long tracks (as usual), "Mesmerizing Enterprize" for example exceeds 15 minutes, nevertheless good writing and fine arrangements makes that the time doesn't feel that long. The longer the pieces are, the more progressive they have become. On "Let The Play Begin... ",
"A new Beginning" (with a superb saxophone-solo), "... and Enter The Game" and "Mesmerizing Enterprize", the chemistry between guitar and keyboards really works. The same goes for the instrumental "The Battle Of Thalÿma". The music of Cross is increasingly mature. "Playgrounds" follows the line of its preceding albums. This album feels like a logical continuation of "Secrets".
Cross is true Swedish prog."
Rating: 8 out of 10
:: ANTITHETIK ::

^ Top of page