There’s a fine line between comeback and epitaph, and after more than two decades of silence, Crimson Glory return with Chasing The Hydra standing firmly on the right side of it. This is not a band chasing relevance or attempting to recreate past glories beat-for-beat. Instead, it’s a measured, self-aware reemergence – one that understands both the weight of its legacy and the realities of time.
The most significant shift comes at the microphone. Travis Wills steps into a role forever associated with Midnight, yet wisely avoids imitation. His performance is controlled, expressive, and refreshingly grounded. Where Midnight’s voice often soared into the theatrical stratosphere, Wills opts for nuance and texture, giving the material a more mature emotional center. It’s a choice that defines the album’s tone: less flamboyant, more deliberate.
Musically, Chasing The Hydra favors substance over spectacle. The guitars of Ben Jackson retain their signature melodic bite, weaving harmonized leads and measured riffs rather than indulging in excess. The rhythm section of Jeff Lords and Dana Burnell provides a steady, unflashy backbone, allowing the songs to unfold with patience and clarity. There’s a notable absence of the hyper-technical indulgence that often plagues modern progressive metal; instead, the band leans into structure, atmosphere, and cohesion.
The title track serves as the album’s thematic and sonic centerpiece, built on a muscular groove that prioritizes tension over speed. Elsewhere, “Redden The Sun” injects a sense of urgency into the opening stretch, while “Broken Together” and “Indelible Ashes” explore more introspective territory, emphasizing melody and mood over sheer force. Closing track “Triskaideka” pushes furthest into progressive territory, ending the record on an ominous, reflective note.
Lyrically, the album is steeped in imagery of endurance and rebirth. The hydra metaphor is hardly subtle, but it is effective – suggesting a band that has endured setbacks, losses, and long dormancy, only to return with renewed purpose. There’s a quiet gravity running throughout the record, a sense that every note carries the weight of years spent away.
If there is a flaw, it lies in the album’s restraint. Listeners expecting explosive, high-velocity anthems may find the material almost too composed, even cautious at times. Chasing The Hydra rarely reaches for outright grandeur, choosing instead to maintain a consistent, mid-tempo intensity. Yet that same restraint is arguably its greatest strength, lending the album a sense of focus that many comeback releases lack.
Ultimately, Chasing The Hydra succeeds not by redefining progressive metal, but by reaffirming what made Crimson Glory compelling in the first place. It is a record of identity rather than reinvention, confidence rather than spectacle.
After 26 years, Crimson Glory have not returned to reclaim a throne – they’ve returned to remind us why it mattered.
Rating: 8/10
For US and European CD and vinyl preorder links: https://tr.ee/k3s7jc_MSq
Presave the album on Spotify: https://tr.ee/k3s7jc_MSq
Track Listing:
Redden The Sun
Chasing The Hydra
Broken Together
Angel In My Nightmare
Indelible Ashes
Beyond The Unknown
Armor Against Fate
Pearls Of Dust
Triskaideka
Don’t miss Crimson Glory on the road in 2026:
May 16 – 17 – San Luis Potosí, Mexico – San Luis Metal Fest
June 12-13 – Santurtzi, Spain – Kabiefest
June 12-14 – Leeuwarden, Netherlands – Into the Grave Festival
July 3-5 – Néa Anchiálos, Greece – Golden R Festival
July 3-5 – Cartagena, Spain – Rock Imperium Festival
July 3-6 – Knislinge, Sweden – Time To Rock
July 4 – Sofia, Bulgaria – Club Live & Loud
July 17-19 – Cremona, Italy – Luppolo In Rock
July 29-Aug 1 – Wacken, Germany – Wacken Open Air
August 5 – Turock – Essen, Germany
August 6-9 – Kortrijk, Belgium – Alcatraz
August 8-9 – Geiselwind, Germany – Keep it True Legions
September 9-12 – Atlanta, GA – ProgPower USA
