Crimson I was a startling revelation, Crimson II suffers from sequel syndrome in that it does what it does excellently, but that spark from the original is missing. Now, despite my beef with the production and the fact that Crimson II isn't as original or startling as it could have been, there are many praise-worthy things to be heard here. The lyrics are brilliantly written, almost surprisingly so, providing an exhilirating new chapter in the Crimson story. The use of keyboards, ala Dan's Moontower, adds needed texture and lushness to some sections, generating a likeable amalgamation of deathier EoS moments and Dan's proggy sensibilities. The 45 minutes are broken into 7 sections (something I disapprove of, but it's not a big deal), and taken as one work, it flows very well, being tightly structured and comprised of many varied sections. There are a few standout riffs and some eargasmic bits here and there. Dan's clean vocals don't appear as much as I would have liked them too, but that really just makes these sections especially tasty. Overall, the good points far out-weigh the bad, but the bad keep this from being what it could have been. However, this should only solidify Dan Swanö's reputation as one of the most incredible musicians in music, period, considering he plays almost all of the instruments and can single-handedly create a massively epic album in spite of the absence of 80% of Edge of Sanity. Worthy, but disappointing in a way. Check it out anyways, as it still deserves to be listened to and is generally pretty excellent.

written by Tim Blake

Playing time: 45.00