King Crimson - "Power to Believe"

[SoundMaster]

I've recently gotten into King Crimon's older material, having picked up the debut, as well as the awesome "Red".

So, since "Red", it appears that they've released 2000 albums!! However, I continually read great reviews of the latest, that it's more "modern" & progressive than most music released these days, and that it's influenced by bands such as Tool, Fates Warning and Porcupine Tree.

Can anyone tell me about this CD? Worth buying? Or is it a vain attempt by over-the-hill rockers to recapture a glorius past?!?!?

 

[Brooks]

Tool, Fates Warning, and Porcupine Tree are completely influenced by King Crimson. KC are the gods. Power To Believe is yet another step forward for the most progressive band ever. All Hail the Kings.

 

[NAD]

and that it's influenced by bands such as Tool, Fates Warning and Porcupine Tree.

Yeah, it's the other way around, KC influenced these guys.

There are several threads on which KC album to buy, I believe in the Opeth Chat/off topic forum, if you want to run a search.

My favorite KC is Lark's Tongues in Aspic, I highly recommend it, especially if you like Red. If you are into the new release (which is the best they have released since Discipline, IMO) check out The ConstruKction of Light and especially the ProjeKcts boxset.

Oh yeah, and check out my signature concerning who influenced who between Tool and KC.

EDIT: Whoops, read your post wrong. The Power to Believe is INCREDIBLE. My favorite of theirs since Red. Their new stuff is awesome, but wouldn't sound too familiar if the latest you have heard is Red. Discipline, the ProjeKcts, and the Power to Believe are recommended by me.

 

[metalathiest]

Yeah The Power To Believe is so wicked. I mainly got into it because my dad bought two tickets for their show in march, in Toronto. So of course, I have heard of KC before and I also knew that Tool was majorly infulenced by them. But yes, I love it now, "Eyes Wide Open" is my favorite from the new album.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

I am a huge KC fan, and I can tell you KC is no dinosaur band just trying to cash in on old sucess. Infact when I saw them live a few weeks back (which was AMAZING!!!) they didn't play a single song older than 1995, so they're not living in the past. The Power to Believe is phenoiminal. Most of the songs are instrumental songs which range from dark, beutiful, heavy and angelic. If you liked the instrumentals off "Red" you should like this album. The only song I'm not crazy about is "Eyes Wide Open".

 

[metalathiest]

...The only song I'm not crazy about is "Eyes Wide Open".

thats funny. Ironically, that song was very well recieved by my father and I. Well to each his own eh!.

But I agree, King Crimson are not doing any of that "reunion"-type bullshit, they only played newer KC, thus omitting their older and more popular works. They put on an awesome show btw, lots of cool lighting, but the thing I liked most was the atmosphere they created with their music. I fucking wish my dad wasn't there so I could light up a big phatty, it would be such a good feeling enjoying KC in that mind hehe.

 

[GoufCustom]

I have ITCOTCK, Red, Lark's Tongue In Aspic, and Discipline. I want to get In the Wake of Poseidon, as well as Lizard. I mainly LOVE the early Crimson stuff, but sucks to hear that they even play the old songs. I want to get The Power To Believe soon as well. Tool is DEFINITELY influenced by KC; I wonder if Opeth is influenced by them. On a odd note, KC has now got me on a fusion jazz binge!

An aside: Lark's Tongue In Aspic Part.1 is so FUCKIN' heavy and killer. It's just pure bad-ass. Hell, the entire album kicks ass.

 

[Demonspell]

LTIA is the ultimate progressive freakout album, and its heaviness and intensity rivals the most extreme of metal...as for Power To Believe, I enjoy it immensely, especially the three lengthy instrumentals, which are mindblowing. I saw them perform the majority of this album in concert and it was illuminating to say the least. And Eyes Wide Open is beautiful!
And to settle the debate, the advertising for TPTB carried a quote by Maynard Keenan in which he more or less admitted that Tool has robbed KC blind.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Yeah they're mind blowing live. They're such the definition of a band, which is kind of funny to say about a band like KC whos had so many members over the years. But yet they are a true band live, no egos either. Belew and Fripp (Fripps very thechnical, while Belew does more of a rock out play around style) both have unique soloing styles and they let who ever play when appropriate. Also the rhythem section is phenominal.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

GoufCostume, pick up Islands next, its KC's most underated work, and you'll love the song "The Sailors Tale" as its KC's most jazzy peice. You'd like Lizard as well probably as its rather jazzy, but the singers rather weird. Wake of Poisedin lacks passion on a whole so I'd say hold off on that on til you get those other two (and hopfuly PTB as well).

 

[Static]

TPTB really shocked me with its amazing brilliance. Alot of the albums preceeding it were average at best, and I'm glad that KC has returned to the path of brilliance! Its truly fair to say it holds it owns against all the classics with ease, in fact, I'd say TPTB is CLASSIC KC and should be looked at as being so.

 

[SoundMaster]

Well, I took the advice of the KC fans here and bought "The Power to Believe".

I must thank you all. It's amazing - maybe the best album of 2003 (that I've heard so far)!

It's dynamic, powerful, dark, "cynical" (that's the vibe I most pick up), and TRULY progressive - NOT just 18,904,873 notes crammed into a 10 minute piece of music.

Awesome album!
I've only listened to it in it's entirely 3 times and absolutely love every second of it! Usually, no matter HOW good an album is, it takes me a good 10 listens to "get it" (such as with "Viva Emptiness").


Again, thanks for the reco!