Lords Of The Crimson Alliance - Lords Of The Crimson Alliance (1986)

Artist: Lords Of The Crimson Alliance

Release Title: Lords Of The Crimson Alliance

Release Type: Full Length

Release Year:1986

Artist Genre: Power Metal

Artist Origin: U.S.A.

Track Listing:
1. Firedancer 2. Dragonslayer 3. Swords of Zeus 4. Death Crusade 5. The Sorceror 6. The Dungeon 7. In The Arms Of Morpheus 8. Clone Of The Wolf
Total playing time 35:17

This band were definitely a strange beast. Aside from the odd sound of this record, there's the rumours that the label that released this album, "Grudge Records", was simply the band members under different names. That aside, this record is as wonderful as it is weird. A USPM record with great songwriting craft, vocals and hooks which promote it to the top league of US power metal records from the golden era like Jag Panzer's "Ample Destruction" and Manilla Road's "Mystification".

The bizarro nature of the sound comes from the layered, high pitched mixed with mid range vocals, the digital sounding drums, along with each of the songs having a spoken intro done with a voice that has been altered to sound very low toned, reading the theme of the song, but also it being too quiet in the mix. Just altogether something very strange but still beats the shit out of Nevermore. Particular highlights on here would be the frantic opener "Firedancer", the melancholy "The Sorceror", the catchy "Clone Of The Wolf" and "Swords Of Zeus" but all of the tracks are solid and worthwhile. Definitely check this out if you like USPM but are looking for something a bit quirky and different. This is definitely a one in a million record.