There are two ways of looking at Crimson II: optimistically, it represents a long hoped for, never expected second installment to Swedish death metal legends Edge of Sanity's greatest triumph; pessimistically, it sees only one of said predecessor's original participants using his not inconsiderable talents and a few hired henchmen to usurp a band's good name for a personal project.

A means to a selfish end? Wait, it gets even more complicated.

The first fact: yes, Crimson (the original) was the work of a fully functioning band, Edge of Sanity.

The second fact: yes, Crimson was also, for all intents and purposes, a solo effort by that band's dominant songwriter and undisputed driving force, Dan Swano, whose personal vision had guided Edge of Sanity's trajectory, though previously never as completely.

So what's a well-intentioned metalhead to do here? Clearly, there's really no satisfying conclusion to be had; Edge of Sanity fans will simply have to make a personal choice (pick their poison, if you will) when approaching Crimson II.

Judged on a purely musical basis, the album indeed represents a worthy and natural successor to the original, successfully transporting the listener back to a fantastical realm of apocalyptic science fiction -- brought to you by the wonders of progressive death metal.

Of course, in a final, necessary twist, all of this is rendered whole via a single, 40-plus minute "song" (or "song suite") containing literally dozens upon dozens of riffs partitioned into oft-recurring themes, numerous soft/hard interludes, and synthesizer embellishments for added effect -- all of it combining into a canvas of downright panoramic scope.

Swano really pulls out all the stops, and whether you choose to condemn or applaud him in the end, there's no denying his amazing achievement -- again.

Of course, Crimson II is thematically useless without its slightly superior first chapter, and though it may only nominally qualify as an Edge of Sanity record, right now that's all listeners have.