CRIMSON GLORY: Demo Version Of New Song Available For Streaming

A "raw" version of a new CRIMSON GLORY demo track entitled "Garden Of Shadows" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The song will appear on the band's new album, a concept record tentatively slated for release next year.

"Obviously there will be many unique elements and dynamics to our new record," the Florida-based group says in a press release. "Moments of light and beauty, times of darkness, pain and sorrow; soaring, epic vocal melodies, fiercely intense dueling guitar riffs and lead harmonies, along with driving, melodic bass lines that are the very foundation of much of our music… songs with real passion, emotion and melodies that can withstand the test of time; everything our fans have grown to admire and respect about our classic songs will be there."

Adds lead guitarist Jon Drenning: "We chose 'Garden Of Shadows' as a teaser track for our fans because it was the very first song we had written/demoed with [the new CRIMSON GLORY singer] Todd [La Torre] almost a year and a half ago, before he was an official member of the band. We wanted to see what he could do musically and lyrically on his own. What you hear is exactly what Todd recorded at home without any input from anyone in the band. Indeed, this track helped seal the deal with Todd for us, because we wanted more than just a voice — we needed a creative writing force as well, someone who understood our particular style and sound of music and the legacy that accompanies it."

The guitarist continues: "Of course we have much more new material that we have been working on since the writing of this particular song, which will undoubtedly go through additional changes regarding individual parts, song arrangement, etc. as we progress further into production and the final recording. To be truthful, the compositions that come before and after this one are just as important to understanding the song itself, but we thought since it was the first song we had composed with Todd, it should also be the first new song shared with our fans around the world. This is just one example of where we started and what we have been working on, and we want to take our fans on the journey with us, from beginning to end."

La Torre became an official member of CRIMSON GLORY in April 2010 and has played a number of shows with the band during the past two years.

La Torre made his first public appearance with CRIMSON GLORY at ProgPower USA X as one of seventeen guest performers paying tribute to Midnight, the band's original singer.

Essentially unknown to the mainstream progressive metal scene, La Torre spent 22 years earning his stripes and solidifying himself as an unquestionable talent behind the drum kit of various hard rock and heavy metal projects in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. However, his vocal aspirations went largely unfulfilled until 2009 when Matt LaPorte (JON OLIVA'S PAIN),who had only heard La Torre sing on a few occasions, casually mentioned to CRIMSON GLORY guitarist Jon Drenning that he might make a nice addition to the already stellar lineup of performers the band had accumulated. It was only a short time later that La Torre found himself at the band's rehearsal studio, and the pieces began to fall into place.

Midnight passed away in 2009 due to long-term health complications.

La Torre recently joined QUEENSRŸCHE as the replacement for Geoff Tate.

The singer, who says that QUEENSRŸCHE has been his favorite band since he was 15 years old, first met QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton at this year's NAMM convention in January in Anaheim, California.