CD Review : Crimson Glory – Astronomica

Crimson Glory – Astronomica

Reviewed - 08.04.07

After the release of Strange and Beautiful it seems Crimson Glory imploded, Midnight leaving even before they could tour the album and the band went separate ways. Eight years and various side projects later, original guitarist Ben Jackson rejoined the fold. Band Leader Jon Drenning replaced Midnight with one Wade Black and the new band released Astronomica in 1991. The result is far more mature affair, with a lot less blatant commercial rock than its predecessor and an almost eerie, ahead of its time power metal edge.

So how does Wade Black match up to the infamous Midnight? Well, I think it’s safe to assume that when he hits some of his over the top heights here, dolphins in distant waters are putting their flippers over their ears and in nearby streets dogs are soiling carpets. Wade certainly turns the screws, his performance occasionally hilarious and sometimes even painful! I can hardly stand his screeching on second track New World Machine. Rather strange as the tune is fairly measured and melodic, with some pretty sweet soloing. Rob Halford on acid is fairy accurate. Overall though it seems the band have exercised more control and recaptured some of the fire and musicality of their early years, building each track in a cohesive whole.

The impressively presented double CD package includes full lyrics with accompanying apocalyptic theological, historical, political and science fiction quotes, making for a fuller experience when taking it all in. Although the turn of millenium calamities themed in Astronomica might be scoffed at now, eight years later, the irony is that more benign forces seem to be guiding us in the same metaphorical direction. A second CD of Astronomica demos and classic early live tracks offer interesting and lively respite. For fans, I’d consider this a genuine bonus!

I must admit I’m not a great fan of power metal or progressive metal, but I can appreciate what is good on this CD and for a fan of the genre this may well be a must-have. It’s also important to emphasize that this was released in 1992, when in the last ten years there seems to have been a glut of new European bands plowing this very furrow. Crimson Glory may well have been accidentally ahead of their time here. Their original pomp and bombast mixed with the expected tasty twin guitar refrains, rather heavy funk bass lines and sometimes eastern tinged melodic passages, such as the title track, give it a real, futuristic feel.

Luckily when band and singer do drop down a few notches and hit some straight riffing, Crimson Glory start delivering something more palatable, while commercially tinged, it’s certainly more power metal than cock rock. There is a lot of Queensryche and Priest on show here and for lovers of any mix of the genres of power, heavy and progressive, this is recommended. Myself, I’m not such a huge fan and so find it a little too chest beating as opposed to actually heavy. There is plenty to get ones teeth into and it’s hard to criticize the tracks as they are very well played and laid out, but if it had a little more bite and crunch instead of flash and sheen, I’d like it a hell of a lot more.