P:O:B (Pedestrians Of Blue) - Crossing Over

P:O:B or Pedestrians Of Blue, either fits, although personally I rather like the abbreviation, but what do we get from the bands debut album?

Let's start with saying that the album has been produced by Mind's Eye's Daniel Flores, and that they have a somewhat unique melodic prog rock sound. Interested yet? Good stuff. Let us also add that this band are going to appear to both fans of Queensryche and Dream Theater, although not as heavy as either, they bring the production and arrangements that both bands have made their name on.'Crossing Over' is a journey, P:O:B take you by the hand, and lead you on a merry jaunt through various different nuances, each song taking you in a little deeper. This really is one of those albums that you can't help but enjoy, because once it's got it's teeth into you, it locks it's jaws, and it'll take a hammer to get the thing off!

The albums title track is a good example here, a slow paced, and with other bands you could almost call it a ballad, before it up's the tempo, the drums driving through for the guitar solo. It's good, I think we can credit Mr Flores for getting that sound into the band, Flores naturally playing many of the drum parts on album himself.

Where 'Crossing Over' showed the bands more mellow side, 'The Line' shows a very Dream Theateresque influence, you can almost hear Mike Portnoy hammering the skins on this one. That's ok though, because as it happens it's not them, and P:O:B have the talent musically to pull it off without actually sounding like a cheap Dream Theater rip off. Well done, so many people out there fail to do that, and sound atrocious for it.

This is a good album, solid from start to finish, and what's more, these guys have done this themselves, they've turned down offers from labels, they've kept their creativity, they've kept control, and for that they should be lauded.

For fans of prog music, metal or rock, pick this one up, you're not going to be disappointed.