Crimson Glory: The Roadrunner Years, Deluxe 3CD Digipack – Review

Another relic from the forgotten vaults of metal’s golden years, dusted off and repackaged like some sacred artifact for a species that can’t even agree on what day of the week it is. Crimson Glory The Roadrunner Years is a 31-track, three-disc monument to the glory days of progressive metal—showcasing Crimson Glory’s first three albums, polished up and stuffed into a digipack for your nostalgic pleasure.

Crimson Glory was one of those bands that mattered, back when music required effort, talent, and a refusal to wear anything other than spandex and mystic face paint. You get Crimson Glory (1986), an album that practically invented the whole “Queensrÿche but more mystical” aesthetic. Midnight’s vocals? Unholy. The guitars? Sharp enough to cut through the mediocrity of modern metal.

Then there’s Transcendence (1988), the undisputed peak. This is the one where they took their ethereal power-metal-meets-progressive-madness formula and dialed it up to eleven. It’s got everything—soaring vocals, intricate riffs, songs about interdimensional space travel, and just enough mysticism to make you question whether or not Midnight was an actual celestial being.

Of course, this collection wouldn’t be complete without Strange and Beautiful (1991), which was… well, let’s just say the title was half right. The band decided they were too metal for metal and took a sharp left turn into alternative rock. It’s not bad, but it’s like watching a wizard trade in his staff for a surfboard. Sure, he might still have powers, but the whole thing feels a little weird.

The remastering here is solid, bringing out all the sonic layers you might have missed on your battered cassette tape from 1988. The packaging is nice, the tracklist is comprehensive, and for those who still believe metal should be grand, operatic, and unapologetically over-the-top, this boxset is a worthwhile addition to your collection.

So, should you buy it? Well, let’s see… Are you tired of the algorithm spoon-feeding you indistinguishable, down-tuned, overproduced sludge? Do you long for a time when singers actually sang and guitar solos weren’t considered a crime? Do you want to remind yourself that metal was once an art form, not just an exercise in who can chug the lowest note?

If you answered “yes” to any of those, then The Roadrunner Years might just be your salvation. Or at the very least, an excellent soundtrack for lamenting the inevitable heat death of the universe.
Score 7/10
Track List

DISC ONE

Crimson Glory

1  Valhalla

2  Dragon Lady

3  Heart Of Steel

4 Azrael

5  Mayday

6  Queen Of The Masquerade

7 Angels Of War

8  Lost Reflection

9  Dream Dancer* (bonus track)

DISC TWO

Transcendence

1  Lady Of Winter

2  Red Sharks

3  Painted Skies

4  Masque Of The Red Death

5  In Dark Places

6  Where Dragons Rule

7  Lonely

8  Burning Bridges

9  Eternal World

10  Transcendence

11  Lonely (remix)* (bonus track)

DISC THREE

Strange And Beautiful

1  Strange And Beautiful

2  Promise Land

3  Love And Dreams

4  The Chant

5  Dance On Fire

6  Song For Angels

7  In The Mood

8  Star Chamber

9  Deep Inside Your Heart

10  Make You Love Me

11  Far Away
Label – Dissonance
Release – 21st March 2025

For all things Crimson Glory, click HERE and to purchase the album, click HERE