ALTARS OF METAL · VIDEO INTERVIEW
CRIMSON GLORY
INTERVIEW
A 25-minute conversation in Chania with Mark Borgmeyer, Jeff Lords, Ben Jackson and Travis Wills about “Chasing the Hydra”, the new era of Crimson Glory, the weight of the band’s legacy and their return to Greece.
Chania · Crete · Greece
Chania Rock Festival 2026
25-minute Interview
CRIMSON GLORY Interview
· Altars of Metal
Chania Rock Festival · 02.08.2026
FACE TO FACE IN CHANIA
A BAND WITH A HEAVY LEGACY — AND A NEW CHAPTER
Just hours before their appearance at Chania Rock Festival 2026, we sat down with four members of Crimson Glory for an extended conversation about the band’s present, its past and — most importantly — its future.
Crimson Glory remain one of the most distinctive bands to emerge from the American progressive and heavy metal scene. Formed in Sarasota, Florida, the band developed an instantly recognisable sound that combined technical musicianship, melody, theatricality and an almost mysterious visual identity.
With “Chasing the Hydra” marking their first full-length studio album in 26 years, Crimson Glory are no longer dealing only with nostalgia. The record represents the clearest statement yet that the band intends to move forward.
ORIGIN
Sarasota, Florida
One of the most distinctive bands to emerge from the American progressive and heavy metal scene.
DEBUT · 1986
Crimson Glory
The self-titled debut immediately established the band’s distinctive sound, atmosphere and theatrical visual identity.
LANDMARK · 1988
Transcendence
For many fans, the defining statement of the classic Crimson Glory era and one of the landmarks of US progressive metal.
NEW ERA · 2026
Chasing the Hydra
Their first new full-length studio album in 26 years and the clearest starting point for the band’s current chapter.
IN THIS INTERVIEW
FOUR MEMBERS · ONE CONVERSATION
This was not an interview with a single spokesperson. Four members of Crimson Glory joined us, offering different perspectives on the same new chapter in the band’s history.
GUITAR
Mark Borgmeyer
Part of the current line-up and one of the musicians helping shape the band’s modern creative identity.
BASS · FOUNDING MEMBER
Jeff Lords
A founding member whose bass work and musical identity have remained directly connected to the DNA of Crimson Glory since the beginning.
GUITAR · CLASSIC MEMBER
Ben Jackson
A key figure from the classic era and one of the strongest musical links between the band’s history and its present.
VOCALS
Travis Wills
The voice of the band’s current era and one of the musicians tasked with carrying Crimson Glory into its next chapter.
THE CONVERSATION
25 MINUTES WITH CRIMSON GLORY
From the new album and the current line-up to the pressure of their legacy, the expectations of longtime fans and the band’s relationship with the Greek metal audience.
01 · THE NEW ALBUM
Chasing the Hydra
Creating new music and what it means to write a Crimson Glory album after such a long period between studio records.
02 · THE RETURN
A New Chapter
When does a comeback become a genuine continuation — rather than simply the management of a historic name?
03 · THE LINE-UP
Old DNA, New Chemistry
The relationship between classic and newer members, and how the current line-up develops a personality of its own.
04 · THE LEGACY
Living With the Past
The weight of the classic albums, fan expectations and the challenge of evolving without endlessly recreating your own past.
05 · GREECE
A Loyal Audience
The special place Crimson Glory still hold within the Greek metal scene and their return to a country with an exceptionally loyal fanbase.
06 · CHANIA
Chania Rock Festival
Their appearance in Crete, the festival experience and what it means to return to the stage in front of a Greek audience in 2026.
CRIMSON GLORY · 2026
THIS IS MORE THAN A COMEBACK
The interest surrounding Crimson Glory in 2026 goes beyond the simple return of a historic band.
With “Chasing the Hydra”, the band are attempting something considerably more difficult: preserving the characteristics that made Crimson Glory instantly recognisable while avoiding the trap of simply recreating the sound and atmosphere of the 1980s and 1990s.
That balance is one of the central themes of our conversation: what do you preserve from the past, what do you leave behind, and what does it take for a genuine new chapter to exist?
Chasing the Hydra
Progressive Metal
Heavy Metal
Florida · USA
CHANIA ROCK FESTIVAL 2026
FROM CHANIA TO ALTARS OF METAL
The interview was recorded in Chania, Crete on August 2, 2026, as part of Altars of Metal’s coverage of Chania Rock Festival.
Altars of Metal participated in the 2026 edition as an official Media Sponsor, covering the festival with interviews, photography and editorial material from the two-day event.
Interview: Dimitris “Slatan” Petrakis · Altars of Metal · Chania Rock Festival 2026
About the Author: SLATAN
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