King Crimson

As a teaser to their upcoming full-length release, King Crimson has fully come into who they are: a heavy, progressive band with modern day sensibilities with a bite. This EP is a masterpiece of art that's interwoven with haikus by Adrian Belew, which leads to pieces of music that explain what Crimson is about. The feature piece, which goes by the title of the EP, is an ironic study of what a commercial piece is supposed to be. Furthermore, produced by Machine (Pitchshifter), it studies what such a thing as a radio single should be. Instead of going by commercial semantics, Belew deconstructs the "single," talking about singing through a "distortion box" with "ambiguity" set to a Tool-esque arrangement. Those previously unfamiliar with Crimson will get a lesson as to their importance, even as this EP beckons to their past with blues rock pieces and percussive instrumentals harkening to their old days. If one is curious about the band, then they should go no further, as this EP encompasses their essence in 30 minutes, and one will find that they are just as strong as ever.