Synth Single Review: “Crimson Queen” by Prince Alucard

by Karl Magi

Prince Alucard’s “Crimson Queen” invokes a sinister force with malevolent intent. The track begins as swirling notes create a tense sense of dark drama. The bass and drums trip in an uneven but terrifying pulse, generating a feeling of extreme discomfort. Shattering notes rip a jagged hole in the music as the underpinnings leap forcefully. 

Sharply broken synth lacerates while the background swims with shadowy, unhallowed power. Now the beat forms an unstoppable wall while the spectral intertwining of the medium-high tones supports a harpsichord-like synth that wriggles in a mesmerizing pattern. High notes cry out with ghostly sensations before they drop away as a sobbing voice cries for help. 

Weird tones shimmy and slide like something unholy and hungry. Ticking percussion moves as the track grasps me with its sense of menace. Continually intertwining harpsichord notes invoke a ritualistic trance in my mind. As the arpeggios twist, disembodied sounds float and the shards of the low end growl into quiet.