LARKS' TONGUES IN ASPIC

The result of this new quintet lineup was 1973's Larks' Tongues in Aspic. It is a harsh, austere record with no shortage of jazz and avant-garde influences. It's also the band's best album, for my money. 

There's also an argument to be made for this being the first progressive metal record. Progressive metal is usually credited as having begun in the mid 1980s with acts like Fates Warning, Dream Theater, and Queensrÿche, and I can understand why. Prior to the mid '80s, "heavy metal" was a pretty squishy term, and many acts who pioneered metal rejected the label (most notably Black Sabbath and Motörhead). Similarly, many things considered metal in the '70s?such as AC/DC and Led Zeppelin?are nowadays thought of as metal-adjacent or very influential on metal, but not as being metal themselves. 

Larks' Tongues is not 100% metal, but no early progressive metal album is. Hell, even today, no Dream Theater album is 100% metal. With that caveat in mind, the heavy music here still holds up, and I think all but the kvltest-of-the-kvlt elitists would concede that the two-part, twenty-minute title track would still be classifiable as "metal." 

"Larks' Tongues in Aspic (Part I)" opens with the gentle tinkling of chimes from Muir's wide array of percussion instruments. After a few minutes of quiet ambiance, high-anxiety violins and distorted guitars charge in to bring a sense of doom. Bruford's drumming is immediately noticeable as an upgrade over previous ones, and Wetton is also the band's flashiest bassist so far. The riffs in this song are strange, tense, and unsettling. Once it really gets moving, it does a great job at keeping the listener unsettled. It's never clear what strange idea is lurking around the next musical corner.

About midway through, Fripp lessens the distortion on his guitar, opting for a jangly, skittering tone, and the other members of the band are given a great opportunity to flex their muscles. Moments of quiet are woven in naturally amidst the more aggressive sections. (There's also a particular violin line around the 10-minute mark that strongly reminds me of a bit of music in Beetlejuice. I just find that interesting.)

Next is "Book of Saturday", a pleasant little ballad. The guitar has a comforting jazz flavor, and Wetton's vocals are great. He's probably my favorite of King Crimson's many singers. "Exiles" is another fairly gentle piece, where Cross's violin is utilized excellently. The Mellotron is relatively subtle, but it provides a nice depth to the overall sound. However, this is probably my least favorite song on the album, as it feels a bit too long and a smidge repetitious. 

There's a determined, plodding drive to "Easy Money". It's also a place where Muir's unconventional percussive flourishes really add a lot. The verses are minimal, quiet, and convey a sense of restrained tension; and the chorus is big and powerful. The build-up is fantastic.

"The Talking Drum" has a long, quiet introduction. It is so long and quiet, in fact, that I consider it to be one of the few slip-ups on the album. If I'm listening to music with the volume somewhat low and this comes on, I usually need to check to see if something is actually playing. However, in a quiet environment, one can hear the pitter-patter of Muir's percussion. Around two-and-a-half minutes, the rest of the band joins in, though also quietly, at first. This gradual fade-in continues until, eventually, violin and guitar can be heard sliding across each other and the three-man rhythm section lays down a fun, funky beat. The song culminates in an anxious jam that leads right into the second part of the title track.

"Larks' Tongues in Aspic (Part II)" opens with a heavy, ragged, odd-meter riff. Muir's uncommon percussion is a fantastic inclusion, and the violin makes this piece sound like a metallic version of Mahavishnu Orchestra. The song moves through moments of aggression and quiet, but it remains focused, overall. Fripp's guitar riff keeps the band rooted to one idea, and Wetton and Cross both get plenty of opportunities to show off. As the song swells near its midpoint, it bursts into a lurching breakdown that presages many structural developments in modern metal. Add on top of that Cross' squealing violin solo, and it makes for a fantastic cut.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2024/04/15/deep-dive-king-crimson/