THRAK

Even though I've been interested in King Crimson's music for several years, I really didn't become versed in their music until five years ago. I decided to start collecting all of thier studio recordings because they were all suddenly available on CD. Of course, just like everyone else, I have my personal favorites, which Thrak was the first to become one of those. Upon the first listen, I could hear the way music of the years following this release was influenced by this album. It is very easy to hear the influence upon bands like Tool, Primus, Nirvana just to name a few. This music was ahead of it's time, but then so was all of King Crimson's music, and though it always seemed hard to appreciate this at the time, now when one listens to music from any of these influenced bands, and then listens to Thrak or other King Crimson albums, it is so easy to hear how these other great bands were inspired.

There have been many reviewers that have described each track on this album on an individual basis, and I will probably eventually come back and do the same. But as for now, I just want to say this album is very cohesive. It is also very loud, for the most part, one of the loudest for the King Crimson catalog. But even in it's loudness, it is beautiful. There are chord changes which are unconventional, meter changes which would knock even many accomplished musicians right off of their minds and experimentation that never becomes boring at all. This is a masterpiece and anyone that considers themselves a prog master or a rock historian should have this album and should be familiar with it and how it has influenced rock, whether they personally like the music or not. It is essential and without this album and the influence of King Crimson, there would be a lot fewer exceptional bands out there right now.

This is an important album. But not only that, it is a great album. And King Crimson, in my opinion, makes the rules and breaks them at the same time when it comes to Prog Rock. But they can do it and get away with it because, after all, they are the King no matter the line-up.