CRIMSON GLORY Chasing The Hydra

Crimson Glory may have been formed as far back as 1983, but their career path has been anything but straightforward, marked by lengthy periods of silence followed by sporadic resurrections. The current incarnation of the band, active since 2023, brings together founding members Jeff Lords (bass), Dana Burnell (drums), and Ben Jackson (guitars) with newer recruits Mark Borgmeyer (guitars) and Travis Wills (vocals).

The band’s self-titled debut and its legendary follow-up Transcendence remain untouchable pillars of US progressive metal. Two additional albums emerged during the ’90s, but neither managed to capture the magic or quality of those early classics. Fast forward to today, and Crimson Glory return with their fifth full-length album, Chasing The Hydra, released via BraveWords Records.

From the opening moments it’s clear that Chasing The Hydra sounds unmistakably like Crimson Glory, Midnight’s iconic vocals aside, of course. That said, Travis Wills more than rises to the occasion, delivering a confident and powerful vocal performance that fits the material remarkably well. After such a prolonged absence, expectations were understandably cautious, but any doubts are quickly laid to rest. Calling this comeback a pleasant surprise would be underselling it.

This is Crimson Glory firing on all cylinders, producing an album that stands not far behind their first two releases in terms of overall quality. The songwriting is consistently strong, the musicianship is razor-sharp, and everything is wrapped in a polished, punchy production. Chasing The Hydra feels like both a respectful nod to the band’s glory days and a refreshingly modern take on progressive metal. Simply put: welcome back, Crimson Glory.

Discography:

Chasing The Hydra (2026)

Astronomica (1999)

Strange And Beautiful (1991)

Transcendence (1988)

Crimson Glory (1986)