Megan McDuffee - Crimson Legacy (2024) Hi-Res

The sophomore album from noted film and video game composer Megan McDuffee, Crimson Legacy unveils a dark pop passion that thoroughly consumes alongside its cinematic inspirations. Musical influences ranging from NIN to Massive Attack and Deftones also result in a sound that spans from dreamy, nocturnal intrigue and heavy-rocking distortion — from the techno-friendly “Your Demise” to the prog-metal vigor of “Forgive Me.”

“Lovely Psycho” commences the album with ghostly vocals and buzzing bass-y intrigue; the references to “the silver screen,” further reinforce atmospheric cinematic influences, described by McDuffee as aspiring to “capture the surrealness and essential weirdness of the 1970’s – 1990’s movies I grew up with.” The debonair, title-touting refrain lends an eerily enveloping quality, and kickstarts the album with stylish engrossment. “Cult Movie” calls for “all the freaks and the dreamers of the darkest dreams,” definitively continuing the adoration for haunting cult-classic films. “I wanna be your cult movie,” the hook lets out, inducing replays with its delectably grimy production.

Menacing vocals and heady guitar distortion converge enjoyably on “Forgive Me,” another highlight in emotive vigor, while the subsequent “Your Demise” recalls the dark electro-forward maneuvers of Nine Inch Nails in its enjoyably dark soundscape. Crimson Legacy is an affecting, atmospheric treat from Megan McDuffee.

Epic, sinister, sultry horror - my exploration of "what if Jack the Ripper's victims came back for revenge?" A grimy yet sexy electro-metal tune perfect for all things spooky.