Full Crimson Platter

Crimson Glory was one of the leading progressive metal bands in metal’s most beloved decade, the 1980s. Originating from the sunshine state, their silver masks that shadowed their faces was ironic as their music was vibrant with enthralling guitar lines and powerful, emotional vocals of the one and only Midnight. Metal Mind Productions has now released a set compiling their four studio albums along with one EP featuring “Astronomica” demos and also some live bonus tracks from a 1989 concert. This set is limited to 1000 and if you’re a new fan of the band or are no stranger to them, the set is a worthwhile purchase.

The five discs come in digi-packs similar to the limited ones released a few years ago, each with the same bonus tracks featured in those releases as well. The self-titled debut has “Dream Dancer” attached to it while “Transcendence” has a remix of “Lonely” as well as the music video for the song. All the albums were digitally remastered and they sound great. Loudness is not an issue and I found the bass to have a more pronounced effect to enhance the listening experience.

The standouts are the extra live bonus tracks featured in the last disc. While the original EP had two live bonus tracks, three more are tacked on and is very entertaining. Hearing Midnight belt out “Lost Reflection” live sent shivers down my spine and his introduction to songs were filled with vigor. I smirked to the intro to “Queen of the Masquerade” when Midnight spews “This is for all the bizarre, strange women out there.” The thumping bass solo beckoning the crowd to shout “Hail” in the middle of the song added some great interaction for the audience.

A 60 page booklet is included in the set featuring a biography of the band chronicling their beginnings up until Todd La Torre’s arrival in the group in 2010. All album credits are also issued as well as lyrics for all the songs and some band pictures to look that. There are also snippets of magazine articles and there was one that caught my attention for the wrong reason. Seeing as this is a box set celebrating the band’s career, I don’t know why there is part of a magazine article mocking and ripping the band after their release of “Astronomica.” It sticks out like a sore thumb and I have no idea why it was included in the booklet.

“In Dark Places…” is a wonderful boxset and it is great to have their full discography in a convenient set. It is a shame that they didn’t break through the barrier and become a huge success like Queensryche would, but they certainly left their mark on the scene. The price tag might be a little iffy considering it is a limited set, but there are outlets selling these for respectable prices. It’s Crimson Glory though, so it should not be a tough decision.