It is instrumental, jazz-rock, fusion that Elewout showcases with The Cross and he must have paid particular attention to the playing style and technique of Allan Holdsworth (and to a lesser degree Jeff Beck) during his studies because the bulk of the CD sounds an awful lot like the virtuoso from Bradford, especially in the chord-voicings, arpeggios and overall tones.

With the excellent Jorrit Godeke on bass and likewise talented Hendrik Mulder on drums Elewout has almost recreated the whole feel and sound of the mid to late 80's Holdsworth experience; think of the Road Games, Metal Fatigue and IOU and you are there or there abouts. Whether this is deliberate or just showing heavy influence I couldn't say but surely it's so close as to be no coincidence.

That being said, anyone who's able to emulate the man from Yorkshire has to be a pretty good player in their own right, and Elewout certainly is. Although lacking the outright speed and liquid fluidity of Holdsworth himself, he plays some impressive stuff and one can't help but enjoy it. It's perhaps also a beneficial consequence that the music is eminently listenable - less complex and 'out there' than a lot of Holdworth's compositions that can take many years of listening, if ever, to penetrate.

As one would expect, the CD is stuffed with solos which will appeal a lot to the guitarists amongst us although that's not to say it's purely an exercise in technique as the melodies are strong. The production is highly complementary to the players with the three instruments nicely filling the soundstage, very clear and precise. Perhaps the opening track, Mamaloe, is the best cut on the album with its busy drums, bubbling bass, smooth chords and melodic soloing. The rest of the CD never quite touches the same heights generally taking a more mellow approach except when the soloists pick-up from time to time.

Overall a pleasant CD with some excellent compositions and top-class musicianship. Will certainly appeal to anyone who enjoys the music of Holdsworth/Beck and could well be an entry-point for those that are new to the genre, but not really likely to appeal to the bulk of prog fans.