Customer Reviews

Transcendence

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Transcendence (1988). Crimson Glory's second studio album.

While progressive rock has been around for quite some time, progressive metal actually didn't really start to take off until the mid-80s when bands like Queensryche, Fates Warning, and Crimson Glory arrived on the scene. All three of these bands could've easily taken the 80s hair metal path that was all the rage during that time, but instead opted to make the wise choice and sign themselves to lesser known labels, thus enabling them to have more control over their music production and develop as music artists. This was years before prog metal bands like Dream Theater entered the scene, resulting in the genre literally EXPLODING with many bands throughout the 90s. Queensryche started off well with The Warning(1984) and Rage For Order(1986), while Fates Warning had the awesome The Spectre Within(1985) and Awakening The Guardian(1986). Crimson Glory also started strong with their debut album(1987), but unfortunately the band didn't have nearly as long of a career as their peers, and they broke up after their third album.

But in between the debut and their breakup album, Crimson Glory managed to release an OVERLOOKED 80s PROG METAL MASTERPIECE. Though they never achieved the popularity that Queensryche had received, they did acquire a massive cult following with Transcendence. This is one of those albums that I'd been wanting to get for a long time, but kept putting it off for a year in favor of other things, and now that I have it, I wish I'd bought it sooner! As a little insight on how I found this album, I first heard their music from the song samples on their website, and repeatedly played them again and again because they sounded so good. Well, I finally listened to the actual album and at first it sounded different from what I was used to, but then I realized that the sound clips WERE JUST DEMO OUTTAKES! This was a pleasant surprise to me because the finished album sounds even better than those clips. Anyways, Crimson Glory's sound falls between Iron Maiden and the aforementioned Queensryche and Fates Warning. The lead vocalist "Midnight" pulls off the singing in a very Geoff Tate-esque vocal style, but he does it very well, so I'm not complaining. Guitarists Jon Drenning and Ben Jackson make a suitable lead pair and generate lots of Maiden-like melodies. Bassist Jeff Lords and drummer Dana Burnell play their parts respectably too. Judging by the band's photos, you'd think that the bandmembers were just a bunch of hair metal guys, but the poofy hair and facepaint conceals the fact that underneath they actually write some great song lyrics about topics other than partying and girls.

Crimson Glory doesn't really try anything too over-the-top with their music and they aren't exactly the most talented players in their league. Perhaps my 5 star ranking of the album comes from the fact that on Transcendence the band KNOWS how to write excellent memorable songs. What we have here are 10 filler-free tracks of pure 80s-brand prog metal. 'Lady Of Winter' kicks things off, sounding much like early Queensryche. 'Painted Skies' and 'Burning Bridges' are the album's gloomy ballads, and they are quite good to boot. 'Where Dragons Rule' and 'Eternal World' are pulse pounding rockers that are catchy as well as technically proficient. My favorite tracks are the blazing 'Red Sharks' and 'Masque Of Red Death' as well as the grand epic 'In Dark Places'. The title track is sort of a haunting accoustic number that rounds off the album nicely.

Standout tracks: Red Sharks, Masque Of The Red Death, In Dark Places

All in all, Transcendence is a fine album and much better than I expected it to be. Honestly, I can't see any fan of early Queensryche and Fates Warning being disappointed at all with this album. It captures the band in its brief prime, just before fading away into obscurity. They did reunite briefly in 1998 with the album Astronomica, but without vocalist Midnight the band could never be what it once was. Though Transcendence doesn't quite top Queensryche's Rage For Order or Dream Theater's Images & Words(1992) as my favorite prog metal albums, it definitely ranks up there close enough. It certainly belongs in every metal collection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Other similar albums:
-'Awakening The Guardian' by Fates Warning
-'The Warning' by Queensryche
-'Dimmension Hatross' by Voivod
-'Powerslave' by Iron Maiden

The second release of CG is more symphonic than the first one, but still powerful and heavy. The first time I heard this CD I was really surprised. I must say that I though that Queensryche had no rival, but I was wrong: CG also plays what's called "the thinking man's metal", and it does it in a very artistic, authentic and original way. This is the kind of music that Pink Floyd would do if they were heavy metal players. The voice of Midnight delivers passion and melody. He is a real master of rock operatic vocals and falsettos. The rhythmic base, the guitar riffs and solos are superb; and the production succeeds in reaching a clear and equilibrated sound. While the entire CD is a masterpiece, I think that "Lady of Winter", "Lonely", "Painted Skies", "Eternal World" and "Transcendence" peak in maturity, composition and harmony. I just can say that if you like good rock and good music, you must buy this CD. You won't be disappointed: this is really a transcendental work of art!

I've been reluctant to attempt a review of Crimson Glory's 1988 opus Transcendence for a while now. It's such a powerful and influential album that I feared I couldn't do it justice. Then I heard the news of former Crimson Glory vocalist Midnight's untimely death. I knew the man was struggling with alcoholism (I saw firsthand evidence of this at the ProgPower USA festival in 2006), but I don't think anyone expected this. I've been listening to Midnight's three albums with Crimson Glory - particularly Transcendence - a lot since I heard the news, so this seems like the appropriate way to pay tribute to the album and the man.

I guess the main elements of Transcendence's (and Crimson Glory's) sound are traditional, power and progressive heavy metal - in equal measure. Now that's a pretty standard formula these days, but in the 80's it was bands like Fates Warning, Queensryche, Savatage and Crimson Glory who were basically creating from scratch the template so many bands would later follow. We got a good feel for Crimson Glory's unique sound on the band's excellent 1986 self-titled debut, but it was Transcendence that really defined Crimson Glory.

I still can't decide if Transcendence is more a power metal or progressive metal album. The instrumentation on display here points in a prog metal direction, but the sheer power and epic dramatic flair of the songs suggests a power metal label. I guess it doesn't matter in the end. What matters is that albums like Transcendence were among the first metal releases that really showed the world just how far heavy metal could be taken. It was just a stunning display of power, emotion and technical ability. Jon Drenning's virtuoso guitar work and impeccable songwriting really set the tone for Transcendence, and when paired with Midnight's contributions, the result was absolutely unforgettable.

Midnight had one of the most unique and instantly recognizable voices in metal, not to mention a vocal register that could shatter glass. He hit notes on "Red Sharks" that I'm pretty sure only dogs can hear. The man's high-pitched wail was a signature component of Crimson Glory's sound, as was his considerable songwriting ability. It's easy to overlook that at first, especially when listening to standard fantasy-inspired numbers like "Masque of the Red Death" and "Where Dragons Rule", but when you read the lyrics to songs like "Painted Skies", "Transcendence" and "Lonely", you really get an insight into the troubled artist behind the silver mask.

Transcendence really is a must have album for all fans of 80's era heavy metal. It's a once in a lifetime release, and now that a key member of that lineup is no longer with us, we'll never see its like again. Rest in peace, Midnight.

Edition Notes: Metal Mind reissued Transcendence in 2008. The reissue - a numbered edition limited to 2,000 copies - comes housed in a digipack with expanded liner notes, digitally remastered sound, and a remixed version of "Lonely" added as a bonus track. The sound quality is the main reason to buy this reissue, as it's a big improvement over the original. Metal Mind also reissued Crimson Glory and Strange & Beautiful.

Well, I got to tell you that this album will ALWAYS be a favorite of mine. My uncle was a metal head and he gave me this on cassette right after it was released, my freshman year in high school. I didn't know what power metal was, and my whole metal world was composed of Ozzy, Metallica, Megadeth (Rust in Peace is still one of the best metal albums of all time, period), and Helloween. This album blew me away from the very first listen. Seventeen years later and it still sounds relevant, never outdated, and just plain good.

It truly is a work of art. There is just something about the atmosphere that the whole album produces. It's hard to put my spiderfingers on it, but it is different than anything that you will hear.

I have since gotten my hands on each of their releases, post and pre Transcendence. Each is worth listening, but this truly was their high point. I hope that Drenning and the gang continue to put out music in the future. Thanks guys for a great album, one that has been a pretty big part of over half of my life. Cheers!!

When I was young, I used to purchase metal albums just because the album cover looked cool. I was a fan of metal, but not very experimental. It turned out that cover art turned me onto a lot of talented artists that I never would've experienced. This was one of those purchases. Sci-fi cover art. Astrological symbols. Musicians with metal masks. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was left stunned by the power and grace of "Transcendence". It was a beautiful mistake and is still one of my favorite albums of all time. It's hard to believe that the album is over 15 years old now and still as relevant and powerful as it was then. I honestly still get chills every time I listen to "In Dark Places". My interest in music has changed and evolved as I have aged, but "Transcendence" will forever be an ageless treasure.

I read the reviews here and elsewhere about this overlooked Florida band, so I decided to pick up TRANSCENDENCE to see if it's as good as advertised. Unfortunately, this band had a more commercial sound than I expected. I saw a few comparisons to old Fates Warning and Iron Maiden, and if you ask me, they're a little misguided. This album isn't nearly as metallic nor progressive as the works by those bands.

However, I'm not here to slam Crimson Glory or upset their fans. I think the band is very talented- excellent vocals, good guitar work (especially the harmonies), and a solid rhythm section combined with well-crafted songs. I can see why hard rocks fans gave this album such strong praise. I would say "Painted Skies", "Masque of the Red Death", and "Lonely" are the best tracks. Additionally, the production strikes a good balance between heaviness and a crisp, clear sound. CG is certainly more talented than most of those '80s hard rock bands that attained more popularity.

I merely wanted to warn fans of the aforementioned bands that they should expect a more accessible, listenable sound if they buy this album. In my opinion, TRANSCENDENCE is very well-played hard rock, not progressive metal as indicated by some reviews.

If you are reading this take one word of advice..buy this while you still can because this CD is flawless and an extraordinary classic. Almost every song on this one is an epic in its self, never will you hear such perfectly crafted pieces of power metal on one disc, by one band. "In Dark Places" and "Burning Bridges" are guaranteed to leave you breathless with their intensity and delivery. Like it a little more accessible then try "Lady Of Winter" or "Lonely" for power metal meets pop metal. This CD has everything I ever wanted, great songs, intelligent lyrics and perfect musicianship. Remember BUY ON SIGHT!

If your looking for a truly interesting and original metal album possessing well-written songs and not pulling any punches, this is the one you've been looking for. Best songs are "In Dark Places", "Burning Bridges", "Masque of the Red Death", "Painted Skies" and the "eerie" title cut "Transcendance." What is unfortunate and tragic about this album, is that it is hard to find now and like a lot of the truly great metal bands from the 80s(i.e. Fifth Angel, Vicious Rumours, Dokken, McAuley Schenker Group) WITH REAL TALENT, they never made it as big as they should have because of poor marketing, minimal airplay et cetera et cetera. IF YOU THINK YOU'VE HEARD ENOUGH "CHEESY" CLICHE MUSIC FOR A LIFETIME, TRY THIS ONE OUT AS YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!!!

This is one of those rare albums that has really left a permanent mark on me. The work they put into this album must've been immense. It's progressive hardrock at its most intelligent and intense. As far as I remember, I bought this on a whim about 9 years ago. This album is one heck of a ride from "Lady of Winter", all the way to the finale, "Transcendence," the name of this album. The songs have a majestic finesse that I've never been able to detect on any other album. Midnight's voice is one of the best I've heard, and he has a great high voice, especially on the guitar shredding "Eternal World". Dana Burnell and Jon Drenning weave intricate guitar playing both melodic and solo-wise. The lyrics are not just nonsense lyrics either. They're just as good as the music. "Burning Bridges" is my favorite with "In Dark Places" being a close second. Their image was also interesting. This album has been a huge influence on me and it's ashamed it's one of those albums that fell through the cracks and seemed to have been overlooked by the music industry. This is majestic progressive hardrock at its apex. Get it if you don't have it already. Totally recommended.

Midnight's voice is simply amazing. You can feel every word, if you listen to power metal this should be in your collection. R.I.P. Midnight~