Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: King Crimson
Label: Sanctuary Records
Release: 2003
Rating: 5/5
Gray skyscrapers rising into the sky, a heavily contaminated atmosphere that forces people to wear special breathing masks, stinking fumes, traffic so dense that cars can barely move around each other, mutated newborns who need artificial respiration to survive, soldiers on every corner with wolfhounds with blood-red eyes on leashes, keeping a watchful eye on the movements of headless masses forever chasing profit, and loudspeakers blaring Big Brother’s instructions every single day.
A sequel to Orwell’s classic “1984”? A description of a near, very probable future? Neither, actually, but a sketch of the visual image and overall musical mood of “The Power To Believe”, the thirteenth studio album from progressive rock legends King Crimson, and a very serious contender for the title of one of the best and most influential progressive rock albums of the first decade of this schizoid 21st century (to play on the name of one of their classics). Just when it seemed the legendary band would have a hard time coming up with anything truly shattering and fresh in their role as eternal musical innovators, they turned everything upside down again with this album, flipping every notion of how your average King Crimson album should sound and crossing out that unwritten rule that time grows ever more merciless to the freshness of bands whose members are (mostly) already approaching their sixties. On “The Power To Believe” King Crimson sound more vital and eager to prove themselves than many a modern band, regardless of genre. Anyone discovering them through this album could easily think it’s some modern prog rock or alternative/prog metal band, and not the pioneers of newly reawakening progressive rock who are creeping closer and closer to their fortieth anniversary. Longtime fans, meanwhile, shouldn’t be too surprised by this, since you could say of almost every one of their albums that it’s not the same band, but some other or new one. “The Power To Believe” is simply one more logical step in the constant evolution of these legends from the days when music was still made with heart and soul.
Robert Fripp, the eccentric guitar wizard and longtime leader of the band, together with longtime right-hand man Adrian Belew, guitarist and vocalist, managed to put together a stable lineup for a while, one that lasted for two albums in a row, which, given the band’s track record up to then, was undoubtedly no small feat. King Crimson stepped into the new millennium as a solid quartet of music veterans. In this lineup, the two younger members (younger compared to those two hardy old-timers, that is), masters of their instruments, Trey Gunn on Warr guitar (an instrument similar to the Chapman stick, only even more geared toward tapping technique) and drummer Pat Mastelotto with his massive yet dynamic drumming, got plenty of room for their rhythmic “shenanigans”, so there were hardly any sighs left for the return of Tony Levin and Bill Bruford. Although Fripp fiercely cultivates a reputation as a great dictator who has every string under control, I don’t think it would ever have gotten this far without the help of those American sidekicks. It was precisely that eager-to-prove-itself rhythm duo that made this lineup yet another completely unique chapter in their history.
This lineup, by the way, had already proven its worth on the very good predecessor “The ConstruKction Of Light” (2000), which for the most part didn’t get very flattering reviews, since most critics were bothered by its flirting with the sound of some of their past classics. I don’t intend to get into those pointless things, everyone has their own taste, but the fact is that “The Power To Believe” was received much better than its predecessor, even among longtime fans, and in my opinion that’s completely deserved. The main reasons for this greater popularity lie to a large extent in the somewhat more pronounced alternative metal elements, even though, as on every one of their albums to date, you’ll find an exceptionally colorful palette of different sounds on it; from avant-garde, metal and ambient music to Korean folk music. And all their traditional strengths are here too: the high complexity of most of the compositions, unusual rhythmic patterns, countless variations and the unpredictability of individual motifs, Belew’s sarcastic and surreal lyrics, and a mostly dark, post-apocalyptic mood. The aforementioned sound, noticeably heavier than on the predecessor, at times almost metal and easily standing shoulder to shoulder with “Red” (1974) in sheer sharpness as their heaviest album up to then, is, in my opinion, what makes this album so appealing even to those who aren’t among their traditional fans and who for the most part weren’t even born yet when the band first appeared. The latter is a good thing in its own way, since it widened the circle of their admirers even further, especially after the joint tour with American alt-metallers Tool that followed the release of this album. They had shown sympathy for metal sounds on several earlier albums, of course. Right after creating the ancient classic “21 Century Schizoid Man”, Fripp declared never to play metal again, but then had to eat those words more than once. And it would probably make Fripp’s stomach turn to find out how many prog metallers count them among their heroes today.
The excellent, modern-sounding production surely contributes something to this more “popular” sound. Despite these modern tendencies, though, they also brought back a few almost forgotten elements from their history. Just like on the legendary masterpiece “In The Wake Of Poseidon” (1970), this album also has an a cappella at the start and at the end, a short, narrative-leaning linking piece that also gives the album a sense of concept. And although “The Power To Beleive” is officially not a concept album (just like, surprisingly, none of the albums in their past), the red thread is provided by the pieces titled “The Power To Believe”, which sustain the dark post-apocalyptic mood described in the first paragraph of this review.
After the short opening a cappella “The Power To Believe I: A Capella”, a brief, effect-laced vocal haiku from Adrian about regaining faith that serves as a “warm-up”, a veritable hellish march kicks in. The razor-sharp instrumental “Level Five”, without a doubt one of the most punishing pieces in their history, riddles the listener with its countless polyrhythms, aggressive guitar passages and avant-garde effects. At the same time it creates an almost claustrophobic atmosphere, which, personally speaking, feels like riding an elevator down, straight into the fifth circle of a heavily industrialized hell. While the distinctive guitar lines of both guitarists, dramatic drum transitions and the pouting bass line cut across each other, scattered rhythms shift from second to second. The evil-sounding, half-step guitar passages and the trading of individual guitar solos not only testify to the exceptional technical chops of both guitarists, but also cast them as the key architects of the cataclysmic mood. As they’ve done quite a few times in their past, here too they pull off a dramatic change of mood. After the opening “blow” comes the gorgeous romantic ballad “Eyes Wide Open”, where we can once again admire Adrian’s vocal abilities, especially that distinctive timbre of his, which here gets the chance to hypnotize with its subtlety. The subtle guitar lines and the rich swell of Fripp’s soundscapes also create an exceptionally romantic magic and add a touch of nostalgia. In my opinion one of their best ballads ever, and also the most optimistic and lightly colored track on the whole album, and probably the only piece on it that the whole family, grandma and grandpa included, can listen to out loud without noticeable consequences.
With the very next composition that’s over, and the band returns to its “home” post-apocalyptic world of breathing masks and emotional implants. The electrified instrumental “Elektrik”, which contains a short, mysteriously tinted intro of guitar effects, is an effective return to solid ground. Listening to it, it’s not hard to imagine a dizzying ride through a power plant overrun by rabid mutants. The moment a dramatic, almost paranoid guitar riff cuts in and a staccato rhythm kicks off, the band is once again sailing through powerful avant-garde waters. Numerous rapid rhythm changes, dizzying guitar passages and melancholic guitar effects are the main virtues of this excellent composition. The punchy passage on Belew’s guitar and the drum work take your breath away, while the closing meeting of the two guitar lines is finger-licking good. A master is a master, after all. After a short intro of Fripp’s soundscapes that sound like wind rustling, the alternative metal-flavored treat “Facts Of Life” follows, certainly one of the album’s peaks and another sonic heavyweight. The calm intro is suddenly cut through by punchy drum strokes that repeat at intervals. Then an aggressive guitar riff cuts in, along with Adrian’s effect-smeared vocal singing a grotesque lyric about “six million ants crawling across a tray every day” (an excellent metaphor for everyday human life and the headless masses clinging to their daily routine). This track has everything that delights both traditional and new fans: countless polyrhythms, scattered guitar lines, a raging guitar solo and an excellent sarcastic chorus that’s an intelligent jab at today’s devalued society. I’m not exaggerating one bit when I call it another Crimson classic. Right after it comes the ambient-flavored instrumental “The Power To Believe II”, where Fripp’s soundscapes and numerous electronic effects rule the intro. Adrian’s characteristic guitar passages alternate in between. Further on comes an orientalist ambient interlude on bamboo sticks, bells and percussion, which in a slightly different form was also released under the name “Shoganai” on the mini album “Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With” (2002). Within this section, Adrian’s haiku from the start of the album returns too, along with a rich layer of soundscapes. This amplifies the wonderful ambient mood, which can carry an entranced listener all the way up to heaven. Only King Crimson, and maybe a handful of other bands, are capable of these ambient variations, taking the listener from hell to heaven and back again from minute to minute.
The dark instrumental “Dangerous Curves” is one of the most complex pieces on the album, which means it’s also one of the sonically deepest. After an intro of soundscapes reminiscent of the sound of a Mellotron, an ambient-flavored layer of sonic waves kicks in, along with tense rhythmic build-ups, special effects and numerous electronic samples. This is again one of those pieces that offers an answer to how most modern (prog) rock bands will roughly sound in the next few years, led by the likes of Porcupine Tree, who had by then created quite a few sonically related ambient and electronic-flavored pieces, but none that sounded so ominous. Next comes another alternative metal “hot iron”, the white-hot “Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With”, the only piece on the album that might even have a shot at commercial success. This alt/prog metal experiment is one of the heaviest and most controversial pieces in their history, buckling under the weight of half-step guitar passages and Adrian’s deliberately hooligan-flavored vocal. The lyric is excellent and is another jab at the general apathy of modern society. Not all longtime fans will probably be too thrilled with it, while for me it’s yet another of the album’s peaks. “The Power To Believe III” opens with Adrian’s opening haiku and a wonderful layer of soundscapes, which drum strokes occasionally cut across aggressively. Then comes an irritated, drawn-out line of Belew’s guitar, numerous mighty drum transitions and the raging of Gunn’s Warr guitar. It all gradually calms down completely and ends unexpectedly. The closing “The Power To Believe IV: Coda” is a symbolic a cappella over Fripp’s soundscapes, and here Belew’s haiku about “regaining faith” is repeated once more, which you’re free to interpret however you like; either as one of the rare lyrical love odes in their story or as just one more sarcasm.
“The Power To Believe” is, in my eyes and ears, an undisputed masterpiece, one of the best albums in the band’s history and one of the best progressive rock albums of the early new century. With it, King Crimson (once again) proved why they’re very likely the last original progressive rock band that’s still progressive in the true sense of the word. I’d put this album in a high spot even next to their entire discography, which for me doesn’t contain a single botched moment, but almost nothing except masterpieces. I’m not exaggerating one bit when I say that the main founders of progressive rock remain, even after the release of “The Power To Believe”, the most progressive “old guard” band in the new century too. With this album King Crimson restored the faith that some musical “dinosaurs” are by no means to be written off, and that their many disciples will have to learn a whole lot more before they can truly earn the adjective “progressive”. If someone asked me which band is still the embodiment of progressive rock today, the answer would be dead simple. And if someone asked me what the future of intelligent, inspiring, creative and experimental music will look like over the next ten years, I’d just spin them this very masterpiece.
Lineup
Adrian Belew – vocals, guitar, electronic percussion
Robert Fripp – guitar, soundscapes
Trey Gunn – Warr guitar, bass guitar
Pat Mastelotto – drums
Production
King Crimson
Tracklist
1. The Power to Believe I: A Cappella (0:44)
2. Level Five (7:17)
3. Eyes Wide Open (4:08)
4. Elektrik (7:59)
5. Facts of Life: Intro (1:38)
6. Facts of Life (5:05)
7. The Power to Believe II (7:43)
8. Dangerous Curves (6:42)
9. Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With (3:17)
10. The Power to Believe III (4:09)
11. The Power to Believe IV: Coda (2:29)
Album length: 51.11
