VROOOM

This sextet's first release together was the EP VROOOM, and most of VROOOM would be rerecorded for their next full-length release. This was meant to serve as a music appetizer. It was supposed to whet the music-listening audience's appetite after ten long, King Crimson-less years. Considering the minimal differences between the versions of the songs present on VROOOM and THRAK, I'm not planning to dive into the cuts that appear on both and are effectively the same. Otherwise, I'll just be repeating myself a lot.

"Cage", high-energy 90-second cut. It draws from bluegrass and post-punk, and it reminds me a lot of Primus. I never would have expected this sort of thing from King Crimson, but it works really well.

"Thrak" would go on to be rerecorded for their next album, but the version on here is nearly twice as long as the album version. The percussion steals the show, skittering and scattering as the stringed instruments twist and squeal. It does go on for longer than it needs to, but it's an interesting cut with some direct parallels to the band's heaviest '70s output.

The only other song unique to this EP is "When I Say Stop, Continue". It sounds like it belongs on Starless and Bible Black, and I mean that in the worst way possible. It's a groaning, aimless, meandering instrumental. In the last minute, the drummers establish a good groove, but the guitars and basses continue their caterwauling.

VROOOM is a pretty solid EP. It's utterly unnecessary in light of what came next, but given the context of its release, it's good.

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