• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

December 2024

• After Lapse: Pathways
• Illusion Force: Halfana
• Powell-Payne: Voilá

November 2024

• Sunstorm: Restless Fight
• Storace: Crossfire
• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

[ More Music Reviews ]

Crimson Star: Bay View EP

(Melodic) Heavy Rock

3.0/5.0

Website Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
Unsigned/Self-released
Review: Craig Hartranft
Added: 27.09.2017

And then there were three. Four years ago UK band The Crimson Star was a four-piece and dropped the EP New Road, which I reviewed with some interest. Now they've become a three-piece band, the proverbial power trio, and also dropped the definite article from the band name. As Crimson Star they released a second EP, Driven and now return with a third, Bay View, complete with some curious DIY art.

Crimson Star

There's a biblical idiom that asks, Can a leopard change its spots? The answer is obvious. No. While my last encounter with Crimson Star was four years ago, musically speaking not much has changed with band, whether four members or three. The band still plays heavy rock, a down-tuned mixture of grunge, desert, and some might add stoner rock. Thick riffs and a heavy bottom end are united like conjoined twins, and then pushed along by plodding to moderate pacing. Yet somehow a rock groove sneaks in there. The vocals are deliberate and sullen in parts, but still melodic. If their is some up beat or lively moments, it comes in the guitar solos. Yes, there are guitar solos They have that riff guided focus and vibe of U2's Edge as within La Prom or The Pragmatist.

With all this going for Crimson Star, I still could not help feeling that Bay View seemed disturbingly similar to previous material. This can be perceived, positively, as consistency or, negatively, as redundancy. Either could be considered safe or, alternatively, Crimson Star is simply standing still. That may be it.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

I could not help feeling that Crimson Star's Bay View seemed disturbingly similar to previous material. This can be perceived positively as consistency or negatively as redundancy. Either could be considered safe or, alternatively, Crimson Star is simply standing still.

Alphabetical Index

The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]