Band:	Crimson Glory
Album:	Crimson Glory
Style:	Progressive heavy metal
Release date:	1986
Guest review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. Valhalla
02. Dragon Lady
03. Heart Of Steel
04. Azrael
05. Mayday
06. Queen Of The Masquerade
07. Angels Of War
08. Lost Reflection
09. Dream Dancer [Re-release bonus]

Crimson Glory had begun their career very impressively with this debut, which was topped only by their following release Transcendence. This early rise to glory became their downfall, as they never really managed to continue their run with great success. The Crimson Glory debut, as well as Transcendence, will however always remain iconic in the U.S. power metal genre as well as the 80s heavy metal scene.

This album is exactly what you would expect a top U.S. power metal album to sound like. Although the production isn't perfect, it has the right blend of power, speed, and heaviness. It's soft enough for easy listening, but also heavy enough to do some real good headbanging too. With classic catchy anthems, it can get a large crowd jumping for glory, and singing along to those catchy choruses.

You can see why this is often regarded as one of the best debut releases in metal of all time. It took heavy metal to new levels, combining the traditional heavy metal sound with progressive elements, much like that of Queensrÿche. Unlike Queensrÿche, Crimson Glory added more power and glamour to their approach, making them pioneers of the U.S. power metal genre, which would become the counterpart for European power metal.

If I had to pick just one anthem to represent U.S. power metal from the top of my head, it will certainly be the classic "Queen Of The Masquerade". It has all the making of a classic heavy metal anthem as well as a power metal anthem. It has you hooked right from the beginning with its heavy opening riff, and the lyrics along with the phenomenal chorus is catchy as hell, it will be ringing in your ears for ages to come.

"Valhalla", "Angel Of War", and "Dragon Lady" are also great songs, considered to be amongst Crimson Glory's best. The real fan favourite here is usually considered "Azrael", which is definitely one of the standout tracks in my opinion. Starting with a slow acoustic melody that erupts into a sea of outstanding riffs and bass lines, it's arguably Crimson Glory's best on this debut in terms of songwriting quality. The only song I consider weak is "Mayday": a song for me that sounds like it doesn't really fit properly onto the album.

It can't go unsaid that the vocal performance is outstanding, Midnight had such a god-like vocal range and could hit those high notes with utter perfection.

To sum it up, Crimson Glory is simply a must-have album for any fan of heavy metal or the power metal genre, especially those who prefer the less symphonic side of power metal.