Crimson Glory
Formerly known as Pierced Arrow and Beowolf, this Florida-based heavy metal quintet settled on the name Crimson Glory in 1982. Comprising Midnight (vocals), Jon Drenning (guitar), Ben Jackson (guitar), Jeff Lords (bass) and Dana Burnell (drums), they spent a full three years writing material and developing a sound. They emerged in 1986 with a self-titled debut on Roadrunner Records, which fused the techno-rock of Queensryche with the uncompromising power-metal of Iron Maiden. Their was also a nod to religious themes, not least in the choice of their name, though the group denied any connection to the ‘white metal’ movement. The band also sported silver masks to add an element of artistic mystique to their identity. TRANSCENDENCE was an ambitious concept album, which explored the themes of destiny, theocracy and philosophy. It received widespread critical acclaim and put the band on the launching pad to international recognition. Internal disputes then led to a line-up reshuffle with Jackson and Burnell ousted. Ravi Jakhorta was recruited on drums and the band continued as a four-piece. They eventually discarded the masks on STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL, their third and most complete work to date. Here they incorporated a wider range of influences, added organ and acoustic bridges and showed an increased awareness of dynamics. Seemingly only a matter of time before the Midnight/Drenning songwriting partnership achieved more significant success, the band's absence for much of the early '90s served to diffuse their impact.