Customer Reviews

Crimson

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I remember when I wrote my review for Carcass' _Heartwork_ back in 2003 saying that I wasn't much of a death metal fan. While I still don't frequent the record stores looking for every CD made by some half-baked Deicide clone (or Deicide themselves for that matter), I've become much more liberal toward the genre in the last two years. And one thing gathered through my countless hours of internet perusal, while not at my job at the hospital, is the unanimous praise for Edge of Sanity's _Crimson_.

_Crimson_ is really not all that hard to describe. Just imagine a band playing melodeath a la Dark Tranquility/In Flames with the conceptual progressive tendencies of Rush and Genesis. It is not so much an album as it is a 40 minute song (yes you read that correctly - a 40 minute song). The concept deals with an extremely far future in which the human race is about to meet its quietus because of its inability to have any more children. Lo and behold, a girl is born to a world that has given up hope. Is she mankind's redemption - or something else?

Musically, I say without hesitation that _Crimson_ is one of the most amazing metal compositions I have ever heard. It has a huge epic atmosphere that has the feel of sitting in a nice cozy chair and reading a great novel. One minute you'll hear a fusillade of blast beats and buzzsaw guitars - like the battle hymn for a futuristic warlord. The next you'll hear a somber and otherworldy acoustic respite that wouldn't sound out of place on a Mike Oldfield album. One of my favorite things about _Crimson_ is how you'll hear one passage, think you won't hear it again, and then it pops up on you like a welcome friend 20 minutes later.

Being a metal fan for 18 years, I admit with more than a little shame for not checking out the ultra-prolific and multi-talented Dan Swano's work sooner. Having recently read about him on the always informative Wikipedia, I found out that throughout his career he has been involved in no fewer than 30 differnet bands. Hard to believe for a man who will be only 33 years old this coming March. James Brown the hardest working man in show business?

Sez who?

Here we go, 40 non-stop minutes of pure agressive Death. Such a masterpiece...an opus every metal bands dream to compose. Unfortunately, no one will! (Haha) It's raw, but at the same time refined and intelligent. To totally get the whole thing (coz these 40 minutes contain lots of transitions), it needs a couple of spins in your cd player...and lots of time. Unlike Crimson II, the first one is one big track of 40 mins and not cut in sections. What amazes me the most is that...being a musician myself, it would have been easy to write a big suite of different riffs that goes on for 40 minutes. Here, it's different. Some parts come back, wisely placed, to get a real song structure. A must to have.Sincerely.

Well, it's my 100th review here at Amazon so I figured I'd review one of my favorite records of all time, The indominable Crimson by Edge Of Sanity. I only hope my words can do this incredible piece of art justice.

The epic starts with an explosion of brutal growls courtesy of Dan Swano and the ultra-distorted guitars trademark of Edge Of Sanity. Then smoothly transitions into a more typical melodeath riff before dissipating into an acoustic interlude. Within these few short minutes it becomes apparent that every member of Edge Of Sanity is in a class of all their own. Dan Swano may be the best vocalist I've ever heard. Great at singing and exponently better at death vox. Also a pretty damn good guitarist and songwriter. The rhythm section holds down well and adds the extra strength that is the foundation of EOS's power. Following the acoustic part is more death compositions that slowly build tempo until they errupt in a fury of blastbeats and machine-gun riffs with Mike Ackerfeldt of Opeth leading the charge. After this there is a fluctuation of softer and heavier parts that finally culminate in the chorus. Speaking of the chorus, those are some of the catchiest riffs I've ever heard, hell, just thinking about them right now gets them stuck in my head. What follows is more ups and downs of heaviness and tempo with the chorus reverberating occasionlly until the song reaches it's monumentuous end. I don't know if I did the album justice, but that's the best I got. The only thing I have left to say is out of anything I've ever reviewed, this recieves my highest recommnedation of them all.

When I first started writing reviews for Amazon, I made a promise to myself that I would not write reviews for albums I had heard only once. Well, here I am, wallowing in embarrassment, because A. I'm breaking my promise and B. Today is the first time my ears were ever graced with the beast that is Crimson.

Sure, Edge of Sanity was one of the first "must hear" metal bands I learned of when I re-entered the world of metal three years ago, but after purchasing the only release Tower had available of this Dan Swano led force, Crimson II, I was not impressed (ducks flames), and made the foolish mistake of turning my back on Edge of Sanity.

Well, one cannot simply continue to ignore outstanding review after outstanding review (23 five star, 1 four star review(s) to be exact), especially when they come from esteemed peers who have opened my eyes to countless delights before.

So this morning, on this wonderful holiday from work, I listened to the 40-minute opus, and to me, what separates it from Crimson II can be explained through the format of the two albums themselves. While Crimson II is one long song split into many different tracks, Crimson is one long track. One seamless trail of such cohesive structure and relentless grandeur, that I would say this album obliterates the only comparable metal competition, in terms of structure and intent, I can think of: Green Carnation's Light of Day, Day of Darkness. Granted, that album is doom-based while Crimson has a pervasive death metal feel with liberal use of melody and progressive elements, but any such lofty attempt is susceptible to stagnation and/or mindless meandering, and Crimson has not a speck of either.

Swano delivers a death metal vocal performance for the ages, effortlessly switching between his growl of desperation which can be matched only by Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt, a low chant of vampyric goth not unlike that made famous by Type O Negative's Peter Steele, and a more traditional clean style which gives credibility to Dan as an actual singer.

Still, the presence of such remarkable vocals would amount to nothing without instrumentation that can stay fresh and engaging for an uninterrupted 40 minutes. With top shelf proficiency, Edge of Sanity tears through riff after memorable riff, paying tribute to all the metal that came before it. Smatterings of Slayer, Obituary, Sepultura, Anthrax, Carcass and Metallica can all be heard here, but Swano channels them in such a way as to declare that he is the accumulation of metal. He is the beast that has formed from the years of blistering speed and unbridled aggression. It is hard to listen to this masterpiece and dare think otherwise.

Those of you who frequent the Listmania and So You'd Like to lists here on Amazon, looking for those hidden gems which allow you to continue to expand your metal horizons have undoubtedly come across this album many times. Do not make the same mistake as me by passing it by. This album is better than you've heard, because no perfect construction of lavish praise can capture the true feeling of this experience. Uncompromisingly dark and heavy with a catchy vibe that runs the spectrum of metal styles, Crimson contains exactly what such a daring undertaking must: a stunning collection of unforgettable emotion and composition. Not only does Crimson fit the bill, it has set the bar which, 10 years later, has yet to be surpassed.

Beginning with a crushing riff that dissolves into a slow groove, and ending with another crushing riff with some atmospheric use of synth, Crimson is a journey through the mind of Dan Swano. Like Mikael Akerfeldt, he interchanges seemlessly from the death metal growl to clean progressive vocals that mark the slow sections. This album, to me, is right up there with Opeth's masterpiece, Blackwater Park. The energy and atmosphere are very similar, but Crimson takes the cake in terms of brutality. What we have here is Swano's death metal symphony, and it feels as though you, the listener, are being hurled from one twisting riff to the next. Truly an exciting journey, and not for the faint of heart. There is even a bit six minutes into the song where you start thinking you're listening to some pop gothic band and not a death metal band fronted by Mr. Swano. Unlike Blackwater Park, however, this one has to be set aside for those occassions where you really want to sit back and listen to an album through its entirety. No switching tracks here. But anyone who can keep your attention through a 40-minute track is truly gifted. You have to hear it to believe it.

Ok, no time for lies here. Being the Opeth fan that i am, the moment that i found out that Mikeal was featured on this album, or any album...i INSTANTLY wanted it. It took a long time for me to finally get my greasy paws on it, but mannnn it was very worth it. I actually had it shipped right from Century Media Records itself...no disrespect to amazon.com, i just have a bit of a strong link to the label now that they have a HUGE store.

About the album now, its one large song, fourty minutes long, which to most pop culture mainstayers translates usually to anywhere from 12 to 20 tracks. No, Mr. Dan Swano made this masterpiece complete without the annoying stops between tracks, and even though he did that on Crimson II, its hard to master and somehow beat this absolute perfection. The music is calculated but at the same time distorted and unclean. Swano and Mikeal growl back and forth the storyline, its almost hard to tell them apart, but if you are an Opeth fan, Mikeal's voice is too familier, so it won't be hard for you guys, just give it a good listen. If you want to be cheap about it, just read along, it tells you when the vocals change over.

The musical side of Crimson is just breathtaking, its plain to see that Swano's full musical genius was spilt over this album. You see all sides of Mr. Swano here, very progressive and mellow, like Nightingale, very heavy and deathy, like most of Edge of Sanity, but also very jazzy and experimental, almost like the music that has encompassed the full career of Opeth. There are a few parts that feel like i am about to experience musical orgasm...like at around 12 minutes in, when the tone goes from the very soft mellow plucking of the guitar, into the savage tones speaking of a funeral pyre, a part often revisited within this work of art, like some kind of universal chorus.

The vocals are both death metal, classical vocalism, and low, almost doomy voices. Both Mikeal and Dan alternate styles, but you see a more broad side of Dan in this working. To see Mikeal at his absolute height, albums like My Arms Your Hearse and Morningrise are right up your alley. However, on this album you can almost envision the setting of this tale by the harshness of the vocals. Its a heavy metal storybook.

Overall, this album has been savagely underrated by constant underground status, and is a hard album to find a copy of. However, anyone who is looking at this album and even remotely considering a purchase, DO IT. You will not regret it, i promise you. If you hate the music, you'll love the vocals, if you hate the vocals, you'll love the music, or you'll just love both. It is nearly impossible to absolutely hate this album...I've literally been asked by friends from all genres for copies of this disc, however, i have told them to order the cd themselves. This is a band that deserves every penny because they put every fabric of their being into this performance.

Absolute perfection...

When people think of the most influential death metal bands and albums, they will almost always mention Possessed's Seven Churches, Death's Leprosy, Morbid Angel's Alters of Madness, Carnage's Dark Recollections, Carcass' Symphonies of Sickness, Cynic's Focus, Atheist's Piece of Time, Entombed's Left Hand Path, Suffocation's Pierced from Within, At the Gates' first two albums... etc. But for some strange reason Edge of Sanity's Crimson is overlooked. It may be true that Crimson might not have changed the direction of the genre on a very high scale, but no one can deny that this album has breathed new life into the overblown death metal scene in the 90's when every other band prefered to walk in the footsteps of their pioneers. Dan Swano had the will and courage to create something different, namely a one-track album with a running time of 40+ minutes instead of copy-cating whatever was 'the big thing' in 1996. Having recorded and produced tons of bands and also the first two Opeth albums including songs like "Black Rose Immortal" it is no wonder why he was so independent-minded, bold, intelligent and independent to experiment with his music. Dan has always looked for different ways to express himself and with Crimson he proved to be one of the most creative artists of the decade.

Crimson is definitely Edge of Sanity's most lauded recording to date. Although Dan has mentioned that he thinks the Unorthodox album is by far his favourite and Crimson was recorded when the band was in a very bad state, I still consider it a true masterpiece! It easily paved the way for so many other bands with its rich content and song structures which simply refuse to compromise. The music is very experimental borrowing lots of elements from the 70's and blending them seamlessly with the fundamental parts of death metal. Dan uses both his death and clean vocals, and also Mike from Opeth does some killer death grunts to bring this 40-minute CD more depth and life. This album features very melodic and intricate riffs including acoustic passages and unexpected key and tempo changes. Generally most death metal releases focus on destruction and single-minded fury, but Crimson isn't afraid to lend itself to various other pursuits. It delivers consistent musical and lyrical themes from beginning to end. I doubt Dan Swano and his friends in EOS were aware of the fact that they were pushing the limits of death metal to unfathomable artistic heights when they were recording this CD. I'm glad they did because even after 8 years of its release I still love playing it and enjoy every second on it. Dan recently put out a sequel to Crimson which is also highly recommended not to mention his solo album Moontower, and his more prog rock driven projects Nightingale and Unicorn, all of which are intense, poignant, bold, and independent works of art.

This is an excellent, original sounding death metal album. You'd think it would be hard to listen to a 40 minute death metal song, but it flies by very quickly due to the diversity and skill displayed. All musicianship is excellent, as are the vocals (mostly death, but sometimes clean). Perhaps the greatest thing about this song is the songwriting. The mood shifts are great, and remind me of Opeth, my favorite band, although EoS is much more of a death metal band. Crimson is not 40 minutes of brutal death. Although there are pauses in the music throughout the song, you still couldn't divide them up into seperate songs. It's much like a long Opeth song (Black Rose Immortal anyone?). The music often returns to a central melody to give a sense of unification. Crimson is a very well done concept album, and you should not let the one song format intimidate you. Although it appears it is not available here it would be worth hunting down for anyone interested. Also, it is imperative that I recommend Opeth to any fans of this album.

this is one of my favorite albums. Filled with memorable riffs and great melodies, i can safely reccomend this to fans of prog and melodic death metal. for some this may be too long and drift away from the music(it's all one song, 40 minutes long) but i find that every time i listen to it i get completely enveloped in it. The rhythm guitar sound is awesome! do yourself a favor and pick this album up, and while your at it try to stay open minded because this is simply amazing. Top 5 albums of all time for this reviewer! i hope everyone can appreciate this the way i have, it's provided many hours of enjoyment.

Ok, whoever reads this, people listen to me, BUY THIS. Find it anyway possible, this is the most awesome death metal album ever produced. PERIOD. Accept no substitutions. Sure, a 40 minutes song might seem a little bit long at first (not if you are an Opeth fan like me), but man oh man, this album NEVER gets boring. Such incredibly musicmanship, and proffesionalism, its incredible how such talent can all reside within one person that is Dan Swano. Of course, everyone who helped to create this MASTERPIECE is a great music master as well, but the mind behind this is Swano. Akerfeldt's vocals are awesome, very to the point, and the constantly changing riffs, catchy melodies, riffs, grunts, the incredibly structure of this CD is incredible. Never 40 minutes will fly faster. What's even more impressive is the epic story written for this album, its a 7 pages lyrics, storytelling about an epic battle fought between evil and good. I really have no words to describe this, if you are a metal fan, and if you heard Swano's work before, even if you havent, even if you're not a metal fan, you have GOT to buy this. Incredible. Not enough words to describe the quality of this album.