Heavy ConstruKction by King Crimson

Where dinosaurs fear to tread.

Given the prog excesses of yesteryear you might be forgiven for a swift rolling of the eyes when you read that King Crimson have just released a live triple CD set. But before you start worrying about bombast, arcane lyrical imagery and more Roger Dean than the naked eye can bear, the good news is that the only concept on offer here is value for money and some genuinely startling music.

Whilst many bands of a certain age have opted for cash-cow reunions and greatest hits package tours, Crimson have always ploughed a darker, more dangerous groove.

Fripp continues to be one of the UK's best kept secret guitar legends. His capacity to generally savage the living daylights out of a musical opportunity remains as sharp as ever though in this Crimson he’s a more discreet presence than he once was.

This Crimson lets rip with long-standing Crim-vet Adrian Belew burning the air with his growling, yowl-style guitar. He's ably abetted by relative newcomers, touch guitarist Trey Gunn and drummer Pat Mastelotto, who whips up a bewildering salvo of digital percussives and samples giving the band a leaner, dn'b / flavour.

The first two CD's chronicle Crimson's most recent European tour with most of the material largely consisting of a punchy, visceral (and consequently more thrilling) rendering of their last studio album, The Construkction Of Light.

In addition to this metal-edged aural souvenir, the second CD also contains video footage of the band in action. The third CD is given over to an electrifying assemblage of live improvisations detailing Crimson's continuing love affair with the unexpected.

It's this kind of cussedness which has taken them to the outer edges of critical approval and mass commercial appeal. But for those who are prepared to put some effort into their listening, this is an exhilarating snapshot of a band continuing to embrace evolution.