Crimson Altar is a new heavy metal band with a difference...they can actually play! The band is the brainchild of Chris Poore and Allan Lesser. They all had a similar idea of wanting to form a band that combined heavy, doom-like riffs with atmospheric melodies and dark, brooding, story-telling lyrics. During the Summer of 2003, after an initial meeting in London's famous Rock and Heavy Metal pub 'The Intrepid Fox', the two of them decided to get together and form Crimson Altar - taking their name from the same titled cult-horror classic movie. Musical influences are drawn from the wide-stretching extremes of the rock and metal spectrum, from doom metal bands such as Type O Negative, Anathema, St.Vitus, Pentagram, My Dying Bride and The Blood Devine, through power metal bands like Sonata Arctica, Kamelot, Stratovarius and Yngwie Malmsteen, past traditional rock and metal bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, AC/DC and Metallica, through to death and gothic metal bands that include Arch Enemy, Inkubus Sukkubus, Fields Of The Nephillim and ending with the ever-lasting and founding-fathers of it all - Black Sabbath! Much of the lyrical content of the songs explores the 'darker side' of life, with strong hints of the occult and pagan mythology. Musically, the band has been described as being 'dark, heavy, complex, epic, and above all, full of riffs you can't help head-banging to!' The band's main aim is to inject new life back into the rock/metal underground scene. Chris says: For too long, the underground scene has been suffering from a big influx of three-chord, USA Style, Nu-Metal taking over. It's time to take back what we once had and make British Heavy Metal, once again, a thing to be proud of. Allan says: If you look back over the past five years, most of what's good in Metal has come from Europe. But not enough of it generates from the UK. We're gonna change all that and, before you can say - "Finished with my woman 'cause she couldn't help me with my mind" - all metal-heads across the UK and Europe will be coming to worship at The Crimson Altar! Tony says: The American metal scene sucks! These bands bring out one CD and that's it. They make their money and run! I want our band to succeed, not only coz I'm British, but to keep on going for the good of supporters of real Metal everywhere! Judy says: We're a band that gets back to 'metal' basics, yet at the same time trying to do something a little different but without all the 'polished up' new metal stuff...it's good to have serious talent back on the table! Ian says: Heavy metal is becoming more stagnant by the day, the kids are talking about the same bands and everyone sounds the same. We are here not only to bring diversity back into metal in general, but also to resurrect British metal and beat the Europeans at their own game. Under a writing partnership that, refreshingly, involves all members of the band, Crimson Altar has already put together a set of powerful and emotive songs that will lay a strong foundation for the band to build on. And to all those true-believers out there - HAIL THE ALTAR!