Yeo, reviewed 'em awhile back:
CRIMSON GLORY (REISSUE) (A+) Metal Mind, 2008
9 tracks, RT: 45:44
CRIMSON GLORY - TRANSCENDENCE (REISSUE) (A+) Metal Mind, 2008
11 tracks, RT: 54:44
[
http://www.crimson-glory.com/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/crimsonglory ]
[
http://www.metalmind.com.pl/ ]
[
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/ ]
Crimson Glory found themselves on the metal scene in 1986 with their
excellent "Dream Dancer" single, followed up by the incredible
eponymous debut. Frequently classified as progressive metal, Crimson
Glory are actually better described as high level melodic metal with
progressive elements, closer in spirit to early Queensryche than to
Dream Theater. CRIMSON GLORY opens with the majestic "Valhalla" and
this sets the stage for what is to come, a masterpiece of fantasy-
themed metal with the stunning vocals of one Midnight prominently
featured. Part of what makes this disc so good is the emotion conveyed
by Midnight with the added emphasis of Jon Drenning's refined solos.
If highlights must be singled out, I'd select "Heart Of Steel,"
"Angels Of War," bonus track "Dream Dancer" and of course, one of the
best melodic metal songs ever written, the fantastic "Azrael." Really
though, everything on here is awesome. Metal Mind has done a
magnificent re-master of this classic disc, bringing the volume level
up considerably, resulting in a more powerful listening experience.
Follow-up album TRANSCENDENCE is widely regarded as one of the best of
the genre (for good reason) but I must be one of the few fans who love
the debut just as much. TRANSCENDENCE featured superior production and
somewhat heavier, more complex arrangements than its predecessor, but
to me is about equal in songwriting quality. "Lady Of Winter" starts
the album off with a blast and you know these guys are for real,
following up with the intense "Red Sharks" which stylistically lives
in similar territory to another favorite from the period, Vicious
Rumors. Once again the unbelievable vocals of Midnight stand out, as
does the fierce lead guitar work of Jon Drenning and excellent rhythm
and harmony leads of Ben Jackson, certainly not forgetting bassist
Jeff Lords and drummer Dana Burnell's driving foundation on killer
tracks such as "Masque Of The Red Death," "Where Dragons Rule," and
"Eternal World," with sensitive moments mixed in on "Painted Skies"
and the beautiful title track. I don't know what else to say about
these quintessential examples of the style except that they deserve to
be in every melodic metal fan's collection. If you've only got these
on dust-covered LPs or, worse yet, worn-out cassettes, do yourself a
favor and upgrade to these reissues, as Metal Mind has done a great
job on the packaging, featuring cool liner notes and attractive gold
discs; if you've never heard these treasures you have quite a treat in
store for you, as they don't get much better than this...
- Neal Woodall (MysticX9@...)
