CRIMSON GLORY Vinyl & CDs

Review: Recorded in Florida's iconic Morrisound Studios, the second full-length from progressive power metal titans, Crimson Glory, is often heralded as, not only the band's finest accomplishment, but a high watermark for the scene overall. Cosmic and ambitious, the original 1988 release was inspired by the works of Edgar Allen Poe as well as exuding a central focus on mysticism and divinity, with a Kabbalistic Tree of Life even adorning the back cover. Noted for its unique recording technique, in which drummer Dana Burnell performed live drums into a synclavier without any cymbals, before re-recording the cymbal takes later in order to maintain a complete dichotomy between the two; the crispness of the impressive percussion may have served as a complicated, arduous process, but its pristine attention to detail still shines through over three decades on.