I’m Still A Believer (In King Crimson)

After a brief vocoderised introduction King Crimson’s latest (and possibly final?) studio album from 2003 launches with a trademark power instrumental a la Red or Larks’ Tongues In Aspic (entitled Level 5 could this be Larks’ Tongues Part V?). Here the drums thrash and crash, and the duel guitars trace intricate lines at breakneck speed. The pace is so full on this brilliant seven minute opener feels like a track of twice the length.

Indeed the best tracks are the instrumentals (Belew’s vocals, normally so reliable, seem to be a bit off on this record) — Electrik is a prog masterpiece highlighting drummer Pat Mastelotto’s masterly fusion of electronic and acoustic drums, and Dangerous Curve builds powerfully from silence like the classic Talking Drum from Larks’ Tongues.

Ballad Eyes Wide Open would make a great Bond song — the only soft song on this ever so loud and aggressive record. The rock songs on the album are the most heavy metal Crimson have ever been. However I don’t think they are quite as good as the heavier tunes on stablemates Thrak and The Construkction Of Light — Belew’s voice is over distorted and the lyrics, particularly on Happy with What You Have to Be Happy With are a bit cringeworthy (albeit ironic):

And when I have some words
This is the way I’ll sing
Through a distortion box
To make them menacing
Yeah, then I’m gonna have to write a chorus

The whole record is held together by the title theme which appears in different formats four times (the most impressive being the electronic synthesized part II) giving this almost concept album a nice sense of whole.

Overall The Power To Believe is another intense and complex modern album — not quite as good or eye-opening as the other two in the trilogy but still, so much better than anyone had the right to expect from these veterans of prog.