In a brand new interview with Mark Kadzielawa of 69 Faces Of Rock, CRIMSON GLORY guitarist Ben Jackson and vocalist Travis Wills confirmed that the reactivated progressive metallic band is engaged on its first full-length album in additional than 25 years. Becoming a member of Ben and Travis in CRIMSON GLORY‘s new lineup are bassist Jeff Lords and drummer Dana Burnell, together with guitarist Mark “Borgy” Borgmeyer of the Sarasota/Bradenton, Florida exhausting rock act THE LOST BOYS.
Relating to the progress of the songwriting and recording periods for the brand new CRIMSON GLORY LP, Ben stated (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It is most likely three quarters of the way in which completed. We’re within the final couple months of labor on it now, I believe.”
As for the musical and lyrical path of the brand new CRIMSON GLORY materials, Ben stated: “It is not an idea album, nevertheless it’s received a whole lot of actually cool songs, all with fascinating matters. The model actually harkens again to the sound of the primary two albums [1986’s self-titled LP and 1988’s ‘Transcendence’] in a whole lot of methods. I believe Travis, though he has his personal distinctive voice and tone, he has the power to sound like [original CRIMSON GLORY singer] Midnight right here and there too, and channel a few of that vibe, that Midnight vibe, which is nice, in simply sufficient of a manner that I believe the followers are actually gonna love that. And all I can say is the songs are just like the primary two albums. For my part, it is even slightly extra progressive than the primary two albums, this new album, even slightly extra fashionable, slightly extra progressive.”
Travis, who was beforehand a member of the Dallas, Texas progressive energy metallic band INFIDEL RISING, chimed in: “Yeah. Properly, I might say so. Jeff did nearly all the writing on the music. After which I wrote the melodies. And generally Jeff was, like, ‘Yeah, I am married to this half. Sing this this fashion.’ And I am, like, ‘Okay,’ which is okay with me.
“I believe the followers are completely going to like this album,” the singer continued. “There’s a whole lot of hat tipping to Midnight, and the issues that I believe that the followers actually love about Midnight, you may hear the hat tipping to him in that. And that is as a result of he is such a novel and unimaginable vocalist that me having the ability to have the power to do a few of the stuff that he can do — not excellent, however in a manner that honors him — was vital to me and I believe it is vital to the followers as effectively. And that was my aim.”
Requested what he thinks he brings to the desk along with his contributions, Travis stated: “Properly, I do not assume I strayed too far off the trail of the primary two albums. A whole lot of instances, when a brand new singer comes and so they permit them to jot down melodies and phrases, issues can change. I do not assume that I strayed too far off the trail. So I believe that when followers hear it, they will not — I do not know how you can say this — they’re going to be proud of the outcomes.”
On the subject of how lengthy it took for CRIMSON GLORY to jot down the fabric for the upcoming album, Ben stated: “Just a few of the concepts for a few of the songs on this album return a pair years that Jeff had within the works — ‘Armor In opposition to Destiny’ and ‘Indelible Ashes’, these songs are a pair years previous. A whole lot of them are songs that Jeff and Travis type of brainstormed out within the final half a yr. A few of ’em, they only received on a author’s move and type of banged out a bunch of songs. All of it is fairly recent materials, all written throughout the final couple years.”
Ben additionally talked about CRIMSON GLORY‘s picture, referencing the truth that the group began out by sporting full-face metallic silver masks earlier than firming then right down to smaller half-face masks. The guitarist stated: “It is nonetheless only a dynamic look. We like to decorate the half. We do not prefer to seem like simply your on a regular basis bums up there. We experimented with some new fashionable masks [in 2024] after we first launched the brand new look of the band being again, however I believe we’re already shifting in direction of now occurring a maskless look. We’re on the brink of schedule some new picture shoots. We type of confirmed the followers that we will do totally different variations of the masks, whether or not they’re full face, half face, these fashionable, futuristic ones we labored with, however we will go along with them or with out ’em. They’re not likely a lot wanted for us.”
CRIMSON GLORY‘s new lineup made its reside debut on October 5, 2024 on the Preserve It True Rising IV competition at Posthalle in Würzburg, Germany.
The Preserve It True Rising IV present marked CRIMSON GLORY‘s first reside look in additional than 12 years.
In January 2024, CRIMSON GLORY launched the official lyric video for the primary single to characteristic the band’s new lineup, a track referred to as “Triskaideka”. Travis instructed The Metallic Command in regards to the fan response to the observe: “At first, I used to be slightly nervous once I was studying the feedback, however then I used to be, like, it’s what it’s. I am simply gonna go on the market, do my finest and let the chips fall the place they fall. The blokes [in the band] clearly like what I have been doing with the songs, and that is actually vital. It is actually vital that the that the followers of the band dig it, and I am actually glad that they received slightly glimpse of what my voice type of steers towards that they will get on board with that.”
He continued: “I’ve seen some actual fascinating comparisons, and whereas I do not hear it, I am glad to learn it. In order that makes me blissful, particularly the Warrel Dane [comparison]. I am, like, I do not hear it, however I will take that. And, in fact, the type of Midnight overtone, I am very glad to do this.
“Man, I will let you know what, I used to be actually scared going — not scared, however simply nervous going into it, as a result of whenever you’re stepping right into a legendary vocalist[‘s shoes], there’s a whole lot of weight that’s in your shoulders,” Wills admitted. “And I had to consider it, if that is one thing that I really feel like I might do. And I thought of it, and I am, like, ‘Yeah, I can do that.’ And I am glad that these guys belief me to carry that to the band.”
Jackson instructed The Metallic Command final yr that the brand new CRIMSON GLORY music sounds “fairly shut” to “Crimson Glory” and “Transcendence”. “Clearly we’re totally different now and we’re evolving, as a band ought to,” he defined. “It might need slightly extra modernisms about it, it would sound slightly extra fashionable. The manufacturing will most likely be slightly higher and extra fashionable than the productions on the primary two albums due to issues that you are able to do as we speak within the recording world. The primary album, once I hearken to it, it sounds thick and every little thing, however the manufacturing’s slightly dated. Stylistically, the way in which we’re writing, I believe it is actually proper up the alley of what we had been doing then. And, clearly, Travis is gonna carry one thing new to this, as a result of he is a unique man, he is his personal man. Like he says, on a few of these songs, he does little issues that kind of tip the hat to the Midnight vibe, however he is actually an authentic, and that is what we would have liked in a brand new singer. We did not desire a Midnight clone. We wished any person who was particular, an actual authentic. And we’ve got that. Travis may be very particular, very authentic.”
In February 2024, Jackson instructed The Rock N’ Roll & Espresso Present about how CRIMSON GLORY determined to develop into lively once more: “There was this actually nice singer named Mystique, a man from Greece, and he was delivered to our consideration by a pal of ours. And the man Mystique actually caught our consideration, received us type of fascinated with possibly doing one thing with the band once more. He sounded loads like Midnight, which was interesting for us at first. After which we labored with the man for nearly a few years, writing some songs and discussing the potential of him becoming a member of the band. And in the end it did not actually work out with him. We did not actually agree on every little thing we had been doing with the songwriting, however he was a cool man. Nevertheless it did not actually work out, so he is gonna go forward and do a solo album. And we want him effectively with that. However that is type of what received us reinterested, really, is our pal bringing this man to our consideration. And when it did not work out with him, Jeff and Dana and I had been already type of amped up with a few of the new songs that we had been engaged on. And we stated, ‘Properly, we’ll discover any person and we’ll simply do that.’ And we did. We checked out a pair different singers earlier than we type of occurred upon the man we’ve got now, Travis.”
Requested what excited him about Travis, Ben stated: “Properly, what excited me was, I assume, he despatched us a model of him singing certainly one of our traditional songs, ‘Painted Skies’, and it sounded actually good; he was actually capturing the emotion of the track. And he did not sound precisely like Midnight, like he was making an attempt to copycat him; he type of had his personal sound, his personal voice, however he was actually, actually nailing it and sounded actually good with it. So I used to be, like, ‘This man is one thing else.'”
Jackson additionally touched upon the shortage of involvement of CRIMSON GLORY‘s founding guitarist Jon Drenning with the band’s present formation. Requested if Jon is contributing to any of the music writing, Ben stated: “No, not this time round. He is simply utterly away from it. Round 2012, after we had been kind of writing with [former CRIMSON GLORY and current QUEENSRŸCHE singer] Todd [La Torre] for what we had been gonna make a brand new album with Todd, we began planning some particular evenings by which we would all write collectively, and Jon was simply not exhibiting up that a lot. He got here to a couple after which kind of slacked off on it. And that is one of many causes that led to Todd simply type of pulling out and going full pressure with QUEENSRŸCHE. And that was over 10, 11 years in the past now, and we have not actually had any contact with Jon within the final 10 years — any of us. We want him effectively and every little thing, however, yeah, I believe from the time his son was born, he simply type of eliminated himself from the music enterprise and desires to play the dad function. And that is comprehensible. It is not likely in his precedence record proper now to be doing music and data and stuff.”
In December 2023, Drenning stated that he “would have beloved to be part of” the band’s reformed lineup, however that his household life has prevented him from being concerned within the legendary progressive energy metallers’ comeback.
Drenning made his feedback sooner or later after it was introduced that CRIMSON GLORY was returning with new lead vocalist, new guitarist and instant plans to launch two new singles.
On December 23, 2023, Drenning launched the next assertion to BLABBERMOUTH.NET: “I want Ben, Dana and Jeff all one of the best. I might have beloved to be part of this new chapter, however my priorities will not be in sync with the band at this juncture. Certainly, being a father has formed my priorities in methods I might by no means think about. Mark Borgemeyer is an efficient pal and I am unable to consider a greater candidate to fill my sneakers. I share the identical enthusiasm because the followers, and there could also be one other shock for them across the nook…keep tuned.”
CRIMSON GLORY had been largely inactive since La Torre formally give up the band in February 2013.
La Torre, who joined Seattle-based progressive metallic icons QUEENSRŸCHE in June 2012 because the alternative for Geoff Tate, turned an official member of CRIMSON GLORY in April 2010 and performed a lot of exhibits with the Florida metallic act in the course of the two-and-a-half-year interval previous to his exit.
A “uncooked” model of a brand new CRIMSON GLORY demo observe titled “Backyard Of Shadows”, that includes La Torre on vocals, was launched in September 2012 and was supposed to look on the band’s new idea report, which was anticipated someday in 2013.
In asserting his departure from CRIMSON GLORY, La Torre stated that his involvement with QUEENSRŸCHE “had nothing to do” along with his determination to go away CRIMSON GLORY, including that the “primary purpose” for his “resignation” was “primarily” as a result of latter band’s “inertia standing.”
La Torre made his first public look with CRIMSON GLORY at ProgPower USA X as certainly one of 17 visitor performers paying tribute to Midnight.
Midnight handed away in 2009 on account of long-term well being problems.
Wade Black sang on CRIMSON GLORY‘s 1999 album “Astronomica” and took half in a subsequent European tour.
David Van Touchdown changed Midnight briefly for the U.S. tour in assist of CRIMSON GLORY‘s third album, 1991’s “Unusual And Lovely”.