THRAK

King Crimson has always been something of an enigma to me, both in terms of their individual albums and their discography in toto. On each album I find something that is excellent as well as something that makes me cringe. This average album is no exception.

"VROOOM" After a quiet string interlude, the cacophonic schitzophrenic rock of post-1980s King Crimson gets underway, with the piece cleanly divided between left and right channels- no discernable middle ground here until much later. It contains both heavy and soft passages- a dynamic that Robert Fripp and company have always been masters of.

"Coda: Marine 475" This is a choppy piece of music, with stomping chords and clean guitar working its magic in the backdrop.

"Dinosaur" Probably my favorite track on the album (it's a close call between this one and the next), this is the first proper song, and juxtaposes Adrian Belew's generally soothing vocals with gritty and noisy music. The middle section is a change of pace, consisting of a largely empty, yet darkly beautiful symphonic section.

"Walking On Air" With that clean guitar, deep bass, and Belew vocally at his softest, this piece sounds like an oldies song, except that it features Fripp's slippery lead guitar. Musically, it is calming and meditative, even gentler than the brilliant "Matte Kudasai," although I hear nods to that piece, as well a mention of "The Sheltering Sky."

"B'Boom" The first minute is uneventful, but what follows is a good percussive duo between Bill Bruford and Pat Mastelotto- an appropriately titled track, I suppose.

"THRAK" The title track is biting and menacing, with cutting guitars, glacial synthesizers, and distant drums.

"Inner Garden 1" Clocking in at just over ninety seconds, this short piece is at once soothing and disquieting. Belew's voice is top-notch of course, and the guitar chords are played methodically and without haste.

"People" Another favorite of mine from this record, "People" consists of an opportunity for Trey Gunn and Tony Levin to strut their stuff on this funky number. It has quite a catchy chorus also.

"Radio 1" This is a painful forty-three seconds of pitch shifting synthesizers- best reserved for a B-horror flick.

"One Time" Taking the overall exotic flavor one step further, this has hazy instrumentation and temperate vocals, creating a rich but laidback song. It has a steady bass. While decent, it does suffer from staleness after a time.

"Radio 2" The second part is less horrifying than the first, as it employs calmer tones, but is still a throwaway track.

"Inner Garden 2" On the other hand, the first part is better than this follow-up.

"Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream" This is a funky 1990s song that reeks of parachute pants and fly girls. It is not without its charm, but parts of it (like the entire middle section) are scarcely tolerable.

"VROOOM VROOOM" This piece is like a pesky little brother that wants to be just like his older brother. In this case, that older brother a piece entitled "Red." Little brother doesn't disappoint in his effort, but his oversized clothes, deepened voice, and faux moustache give his charade away. This instrumental isn't unsatisfactory by any means, but it's sound and arrangement make it sound like a second-rate "Red."

"VROOOM VROOOM: Coda" The final track is a mishmash of noise and irritation. It does not serve the album well as the closer, and frankly should have been left off altogether in favor of the previous track finishing up the album.