Artist: Crimson Glory
Label: MCA Records
Release Date: 1988
Rating: 3 Skulls
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Title: Transcendence Artist: Crimson Glory Label: MCA Records Release Date: 1988
Rating: 3 Skulls |
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Reviewed by Solomon:
Crimson Glory is a name that doesn't get kicked around too much. For those who don't know, CG is a progressive/power metal troupe that kicked out a few records in the 80's before attempting to go glam in '91 with Strange and Beautiful (Celtic Frost, anyone?), and then returned to form in '99 with the extraterrestrial Astronomica. Part of this relative anonymity may be due to the fact that Glory sounds pretty "alien" even when compared to other bands operating in the same vein. Sure, Transcendence has its share of Queensryche, Iron Maiden, and Zeppelin thrown in, but the group forges their own path by taking the best from their peers, adding their own elements, and mixing them in a way that avoids any direct comparisons.Midnight's voice is certainly the centerpiece here. There is no doubt he can hit the high stuff (see "Red Sharks"), and he deserves more praise than metal history has granted him, but sometimes the helium-filled, Geddy Lee style he evokes throughout Transcendence can get a little annoying. The guitar sounds found on the record are just plain weird, but cool weird: a dry, nasal rhythm tone combined with "otherworldly" harmonies that defy explanation and are a CG trademark.
Transcendence features a good combination of artsy experimentation and solid metal writing. "Lady of Winter" is a power metal charger that sets the album off to a good start, and the guitar solo shows that Jon Drenning is no slouch. "Where Dragons Rule" is one of the better tracks, as it features some great guitar harmonies in the intro. "Eternal World," with its quasi-flamenco percussive break, and the title track, with its Celtic/oriental toolings, provide some originality, but the record as a whole seems to lack a certain punch. "Burning Bridges" goes on for a few minutes too long, and "Lonely," which had some decent radio play back then, is a so-so ballad that is upstaged by the heavier "Painted Skies." This really isn't bad music at all, but the album as a whole lacks the kinds of hooks, riff or melody-wise, that make me want to keep listening time after time. The major exception is the gothic masterpiece "In Dark Places," which haunted me the first time I heard it over ten years ago. This tune has an odd mystical appeal that few metal songs have matched, in my opinion. So many elements come together to make this song stand out: the mournful and hypnotic progression in the verse (0:22), the shimmery, squishy riff of the pre-chorus (1:20), the wacked-out wammy bar shading in the solo (3:44), the cool chord changes (3:24), and Midnight's great vocal presence. This is a weird tune, and I encourage everbody to check it out. I just wish the rest of the record had reached the same peak.
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