The songs just aren't there (less the very good "Hand that Rocks the Cradle") and Tony Martin isn't in as strong a voice. There's also nothing really distinctive about the album, and it comes off a little boring, frankly. Now had they smartly included "What's the Use," then that takes the album up a notch.

While neither great artistic works, I prefer Forbidden to Cross Purposes (and likely, this disparity will be enhanced with the forthcoming remix). The ending sequence of Forbidden's "Rusty Angels," "Forbidden," "Kiss of Death," and "Loser gets it all" completely dwarfs any such sequence on the more even, but less inspired Cross Purposes album.