Since its formation in the late 1960's King Crimson has never been content to stay in one musical place. They were one of the pioneers of progressive rock, and under the guidance of band leader Robert Fripp they have gone through many changes, both in terms of musical style and lineup. Indeed, they began as a psychedelic sort of form of free form prog wanderings, then moved into more jazzy and eventually pioneered a hard edged sort of blend of prog with guitar dominated fusion and hard rock. They broke up for a time, then reformed in the 1980's with a completely new sound, somewhat alternative in texture, and definitely quite quirky. After a couple of other incarnations, the band have released a true masterpiece in The Power To Believe. The disc seems to have elements of all the rich musical history and textures of the group, but with a much harder edge. This is not metal, but should appeal to fans of prog metal while still pleasing long time Crimson fans. The album really is one of the finest produced by any grouping of this band.

The current lineup of the group is Fripp on guitar, Adrian Belew providing both additional guitar and vocals, Trey Gunn on Warr guitar and rubber bass, and Pat Mastelotto manning the drums. An A Cappella take on the title cut theme starts the disc, but as Level Five takes over from there, it is quickly proven that this is no wimpy recording. Standout cuts include "Facts of Life" and "Dangerous Curves".

All in all, if you have ever liked King Crimson, run, don't walk to the store and pick this up, its greatness is on a level quite close to even such KC classics as Red. If you are a fan of hard and adventurous rock, but have never heard Crimson, this would be a great introduction to the band.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2003 Year Book Volume 1 at https://garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2003-and-2004/.