THE POWER TO BELIEVE

King Crimson

Eclectic Prog

3.96 | 1412 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

A strong album. A number of tracks remind me of earlier material, which can be expected in a band that's been exploring for decades.

The Power to Believe I: A Cappella reminds me of Peace: A Theme - a short vocal intro.

Level Five - This is a bit like Red, with the Satan setting on 11. Ferociously and relentlessly dark. No mercy asked or given.

Eyes Wide Open - the obligatory ballad, with Pat playing (synthetic) slit drum a la One Time, but the tune is more upbeat. Melodic and stylish.

Elektrik - After a faux-classical intro, Trey's savage tone tells John Wetton to hold his beer, while Bob and Adrian do their intertwining thing. Pat is killing it on the kit. Great music. Later, the song changes ... now Bob is telling Tony Iommi to hold his beer! There is a moment that might be the heaviest music ever recorded - all it needed was a death growl. A wild ride.

Facts of Life - It reminds me of Oyster Soup, unfortunately. Still, there are some cool moments, of course. Prozak Blues meets Helter Skelter.

The Power to Believe II - Atmospheric, with world influences somehow melding west Asian melodies and gamelan. All the sounds are gorgeous - from the synth percussion, the guitars synths, Trey's beautiful bass tone. Love it.

Dangerous Curves - the classic Crimson slow grind - from the Devil's Triangle, to Bolero, to the Talking Drum - this is the latest. Like all of these, the track starts barely audibly and builds up to cacophony. All of these are cool tracks, though Bolero is the best composition of these.

Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With - another chaotic Oyster Soup successor.

The Power to Believe III - a spooky atmospheric intro is rudely interjected by Trey's occasional brutal bass stabs. Then Pat comes in with a truly crunching backbeat. Then everything becomes even spookier and heavier as Fripp goes into eerie mode. Some spectacular rhythm section work. A soundtrack for a horror thriller?

The Power to Believe IV: Coda - A couple of minutes of Fripper(and Belewer?)tronics and a return to the initial (Peace) theme.

Four stars.

Greta007 | 4/5 | 2024-6-19

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