1638 - Edge Of Sanity Crimson 1996

"Another sky is young!" With those words, Dan Swano begins the monstrous progressive death metal epic known as Crimson. The story takes place in a blighted and barren future where humans have lost the ability to produce offspring. The album boasts one single 40 minute track that features innovative non stop brutal metal. While the rest of the band deserves credit for their superb parts, Swano is clearly Crimson’s biggest highlight and the mastermind behind the entire story. The characters seem to take shape and disappear with his every word, and some of his screams are jaw-dropping in quality. The lyrics (co-written by Mikael Akerfeldt, who also appears as a guest vocalist in places) are outstanding, and lines like “Cursed to be walking in the shadows of death for a lifetime!” and “Is she of man, made of flesh and blood? Or is she the offspring of the unholy God?” continue to gather constant quotes by devout fans of the band.