10 Hard Rock Bands From The '80s That Should've Been Bigger
2. Crimson Glory
These early kings of the progressive metal movement seemed poised to set the world on fire. Long before Slipknot or Mushroomhead donned masks, this powerful Floridian crew were rocking metallic disguises.
Between the creepy, if slightly ridiculous, silver masks and innovative approach to the technical side of heavy metal, Crimson Glory stood out in a saturated '80s scene. Their sophomore LP, 'Transcendence', contained their first major hit, 'Lonely'. The popularity of the LP lead to the mysterious outfit touring with giants such as Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica and Anthrax.
Sadly, instead of reaching a new, possibly mainstream, peak with their third LP, Crimson Glory lost a guitarist and their drummer. The subsequent move into more experimental fare with 1991's 'Strange and Beautiful' saw the group drop their promising prog metal sound for a less exciting blues rock vibe.
The subsequent departure of frontman Midnight ultimately proved to be a wound from which the group would never recover. Ultimately, this initially dynamic and exciting metal group were undone by far too much second guessing and several critical line-up changes. Considering the popularity prog metal garnered with groups like Dream Theater and Tool, Crimson Glory could've ridden a lucrative wave in the '90s had things gone a little smoother behind the scenes.