THE POWER TO BELIEVE

After I fell in love with King Crimsons old albums, I was curious about their more rescent work. At the same time I was somewhat sceptic, with so many prog bands either changing their styles or losing their creativity with time. After some listenings, I can indicate that this is not the case here.

After a short introduction of some disorted vocals (which will appear on all TPTB tracks), level five opens the album brutally. It's close to the music found on red but harder, angrier and almost metal. The biggest difference is the drums, which sounds to be partly electronic, and it really suprised me when some almost aphex twin-like whirls appeared towards the end. A very hard and also a very good track. King Crimson really like to put a mellow track after a very intense one, and that's also the case on this disc. Eyes wide open is hard to describe. It somewhat reminds me of the mellow parts of discipline, especially the drums and also the guitar, even if there is far less guitar on this one. Also a good track. The lyrics are OK, a little of the abstract gene also found in, for example, I talk to the wind. Then another track without vocals, the mystic, windling EleKtrik. It enters harsh, gets a little bit more experimental, and then explodes with guitars and all that stuff... I like the drumming and the last part, but the rest of the track, especially the middle section is nothing special and could have been reduced. Still an OK song, but far from being a highlight. Then a rather boring and unnecessary intro to the next track, Facts of life, which turn to be nearly as intense as level five, but with vocals. Some say the lyrics here are bad here, but I think they are catchy and correct, even if they maybe could have been written in a more intellectual way. Six million ants, craawling on a plate, one of them give back.... It's not hard to see what he is pointing at, but he's definitive right in my opinion. Another very good track. The Power To Believe II is a little bit like Elektrik, but in a more mellow way. I found it more interesting and variating, however. In the beginning it consists of dome drip-dropping rythm and an arabian- sounding synth (I think it is a synth at least). Some percussion then form a asiatic-like mood close to that found on Larks Tonques in Aspic, and the vocals appears. Experimental world music. Dangerous curves sounds like a modern, industrial version of Devils Triangle, but without that non- structured endning and with synths instead of mellotron. I really like how those electronic drums fits into Crimsons music! Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With. A brilliant name, but a less brilliant track. Instrumental it is good, like a minimalistic version of Facts Of Life. The song accuse modern metal for being non- creative and all about a catchy chorus. The track works, it entertains, but the lyrics are a little bit cheesy for Crimson standards here. The Power To Believe is a industrial track when Fripp is given a moment for some virtouso playing. I don't really see it as a song, but it's very cool and eerie. Now the same song that introduced us to the album closes it, with some synthesizers added. It closes the album in a brilliant way.

Summarising the album, it is one of Crimsons most intense efforts. It maybe sounds like something you never have heard before, but it's not as groundbreaking as some of their other albums. We can call it a Industrial Rock album performed by King Crimson. It sounds fresh, and even if you haven't heared Crimson like this before, with electronic aphex-styled drums and everything, all of it have been recorded before. But, you can't accuse Crimson for losing their creativity, I am supriced they still can record albums of this quallity. And it's very cool to hear King Crimson performing some modern music. The only thing I really can complain about is that there is no really outstanding classic here, and it sometimes feels more like some good but randomly picked pieces putted together, than a solid album.