The Crimson Corridor

Although I love metal, I don't think of myself as someone who likes angry or especially agitated music. I like atmospheric music, moody music, but when I encounter something abrasive, I usually turn away. For that reason, The Crimson Corridor is an unusual choice from me, because although it has some beautiful melodic sections, its vibe is brutal.

The vocalist and lyrics will alienate most people who listen to this, at least on their first listen. They did for me. The theme is mental illness. Here is a sample from my favorite track, "The Crimson Corridor": "A signal is born from a crooked womb / Into the hands of the chemical sea / It writhes forward towards the Pharos / To infect the corpus and revive the fear." This is not light or fun listening; this is harsh, occasionally oppressive stuff.

Why do I like it? Honestly, not sure, but I think it hearkens back to Kafka's definition of art: that good art is the "axe for the frozen sea within us." The Crimson Corridor is striking and memorable and forces me to listen. I respect an album that grabs my attention like that.

Also, that vocalist... This album has a few vocalists, but there is one that grabbed my attention and who I can hear precisely in my head after the album has stopped playing. There is a type of metal vocalist that sounds like a hawk screeching after it has been caught in a trap, and this vocalist is the quintessence of that type. He sings the chorus to "The Crimson Corridor," "R.I.P.W.", and most of my other favorite tracks.

Other details that I liked: this album isn't afraid to rock some harsh dissonances, on "Croatoan," for example. Although the band is at its best when it is loud and searing, its quiet moments are actually pretty good too, and they sprinkle in enough of them to give my ears a break.

Seems like I have a lot to say about this album, so perhaps I'm rating it a little low! I will keep it at a 2 for now but will bump it up to a 3 if I'm still listening often in a few months.