Crystal Logic has posted an impressive in-depth interview with Jon Drenning, Jeff Lords and Ben Jackson of Crimson Glory fame. The trio look back on the band's early years, their legendary status cemented by the Transcendence album from 1988, the change of sound and fortune with Strange And Beautiful, the Astronomica album, and late vocalist Midnight. Following is an excerpt from the discussion.

Q: While most of the music was written by both of you and with some input by Midnight, most of the lyrics were written by Midnight. Did Midnight write the lyrics and you worked on them or the opposite? 

Jon Drenning: "Midnight wrote the vast majority of our lyrics. At times I and others would help out with core sections or a bridge to reflect some of my musical ideas, but he was the predominant lyricist. A perfect collaboration would be from 'In Dark Places' – 'In arching moonbeams of light we glide, on bending shadows of warm starlight; angels of color light the night as they fly, transcending into the electric sky'. Midnight wrote the first two lines, I wrote the second two lines. It’s a good example of how we worked together when we/he needed an extra line here or there. Dana also contributed lyrics to a few songs, i.e. 'Red Sharks', 'Dream Dancer' come to mind…

That being said, Midnight spent many hours alone, late at night, scribbling lyrics into little spiral bound notebooks by candlelight… He was constantly revisiting and rewriting lyrics to achieve the perfect meter, rhyme and feeling, right down to each vowel. Most people don’t understand just how deep he got into what he wrote and sang – he literally felt every word."

Jeff Lords: "Midnight had very little input when it came to the music, with the exception of the ideas that he had written on acoustic guitar prior to getting in the band. Two examples would be 'Lost Reflection' and 'Painted Skies'. He had more of a say-so on those songs because he more or less wrote them in their most basic form. Truth be told, much of the time Midnight showed apprehension in this whole acoustic-to-heavy transformation process, for instance, when Jon would suggest chord or arrangement changes to Midnight's original pieces. Midnight wasn't always keen on the prospect of seeing the folk ditties he had created come to life has heavy metal pieces. But in the end, all of the band's influences came together and a wave was created, and Midnight, who had never even listened to heavy metal prior to meeting us, rode that wave with us."    

Q: Midnight left the band prior to the start of the Strange And Beautiul tour and one year later, Crimson Glory broke up. Why did Midnight retire from the band and why did Crimson Glory stop?

Jeff Lords: "Midnight had started to succumb to the pressures of having to live up to the fan's expectations live. This drove him to drink in excess as a means to cope with this pressure, and this took its toll after Transcendence and even during the making of Strange And Beautiful. This is why the vocals are mixed so quietly compared to previous albums. With the album finished, like any signed band, we were expected to play some shows. In rehearsals, it became clear to Jon, myself, and new drummer Ravi (Jakhotia), that Midnight didn't have the mental capacity or physical stamina to front the band live anymore, so we had little choice but to replace him at that point."  

Jon Drenning: "It’s well known now throughout the world that Midnight had a severe addiction to alcohol, which he was constantly battling to the detriment of both himself and the band. It was really like having Jim Morrison in the band. He was our voice, our soul, and our demons, all combined.  Unfortunately it’s simply not sustainable form the standpoint of live performances. It was a daily struggle, having to care for and provide for Midnight which really took its toll on all of us. We loved him dearly, but we knew that ultimately we were forced to have a different singer."  

Read the complete in initerview, conducted by Andreas Andreou, here

Metalville Records has reissued a physical digitally re-mastered CD edition of American progressive metal band Crimson Glory's self-titled album, licensed from the Roadrunner Records archive.

Crimson Glory formed as early as 1982, but it took until 1986 for their self-titled debut album to be released. The band initially drew much media attention because of their mysterious silver masks, but they had an astoundingly powerful vocalist in the enigmatic Midnight and in guitarists Jon Drenning and Ben Jackson, a team capable of supplying excellent harmonies and truly beautiful melodic lines.

These talents were made evident on classic metal anthems like "Angels Of War" and the epic "Heart Of Steel". Crimson Glory are as good as American metal gets - witness the driving "Dragon Lady" and the absolute classic "Azrael" for proof. Ultimately, Crimson Glory is a very fine album that has withstood the test of time much better than you'd expect.

"When we were recording our debut album we knew we were creating something very unique and special,” says guitarist Ben Jackson. “There was a magic that was very present there. I still view this record with fascination and much pride. We were young, very passionate and quite obsessed with presenting our music and our craft."

Crimson Glory tracklisting:

"Valhalla"
"Dragon Lady"
"Heart Of Steel"
"Azrael"
"Mayday"
"Queen Of The Masquerade"
"Angels Of War"
"Lost Reflection"

Click here to order Crimson Glory.