Right from the opening drum rolls of "VROOM", there is immersion that is quite unlike anything experienced before in 5.1 surround. Normally I am not a fan of drums in the surround channels but overall for this album it works extremely well for the density of this particular King Crimson lineup, affectionately known as the double-trio. Speaking particularly of the drummers in this lineup, it was decided that for the most part, Pat Mastelotto would be the straight man, leaving Bill Bruford to be the coloring agent. That's why I like how Jakko mixed Bruford's drums to the surround channels and Mastelotto to the front.
One of the changes made to this new 2015 remix of THRAK concerns the voices on "Coda: Marine 475". I personally would have mixed them a little lower myself particularly since some of the guitars are less prominent in this new mix than I think they should be.
Following these two tracks is the first proper song on the album, "Dinosaur". This is one where I wish the drum placement was flipped as Bruford becomes the straight man for this particular song, but the placements still work as they are. Adrian Belew's vocals are brought out into the room while the lower backing vocals in the chorus are effective emanating from behind you. Then following the breakdown in the middle of the song, the guitar solo floats around all the channels until Belew's vocal comes back in. A really nice mix of one of my favorite King Crimson songs from this era!
Then we're treated to the loverly "Walking On Air". The light, airy, and atmospheric sounds of this particular track sound better than they ever have before in surround. If you thought that the loveliness would last, well…brace yourself!
"B'Boom" is kinda like a soundtrack to a horror or thriller film with the opening dissonance setting the stage for this drum and percussion feature. If there was ever one piece of music featuring drums and percussion that was made for surround, it's definitely this one. Right in the middle of the track, the drums come at you from all four corners of the mix, and it is truly effective.
Then we're onto the title track, probably the heaviest piece of music on the entire album. There is a little bit of energy that's missing from the track at the start, but it gathers steam as it goes along. This instrumental also features some of Fripp's most inspired and challenging guitar-work. Like "B'Boom" it really is music for a horror or thriller film, but that horror doesn't last with the tranquility of "Inner Garden I".
"People", easily one of the funkiest tracks on the album, starts out with the main rhythm section (bass and drums) in the front with Adrian Belew's vocals in the center of the listening setup. The chorus is where we are first treated to a discrete surround presentation for this particular song. The middle, instrumental section of the song is probably the most fun surround section of the song with lots of ear candy surrounding you, but the ending is also equally effective in surround too.
Then comes "Radio I" which isn't really that essential to the album. I think of it more as an interesting bridge between "People" and the other loverly track on the album, "One Time". Like "Walking On Air", the atmospheric and airy nature of the song lends itself really well to surround. "Radio II" follows "One Time", and like its first incarnation, there's really nothing that special or unique about it, just simply a bridge between one concrete musical thought and the next. "Inner Garden II" is a shorter reincarnation of "Inner Garden I" and a conclusion to that particular musical thought.
The next song, "Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream" has always been another favorite of mine, and while it may not excite in surround right away, there's a lot here to like. The moments that really comes off best in surround are the manic moments in the track where Bruford (and also Fripp) contribute the chaos to throw everything off track from a rhythmic perspective, and it just rocks!
Following that is a return to where we came in with "VROOM VROOM". The separation of the drums once again proves incredibly effective, adding to the clarity of being able to hear how each of them contributes to the arrangement of this album, but we are not finished yet!
The only thing that remains is the coda for "VROOM VROOM". This could easily be one of the best surround mixes on the entire album, a full immersive onslaught of sound from all directions that is equally exciting and terrifying!
After all of that, I'm very confident in saying that this surround mix easily belongs in my top 3 favorite surround mixes released this year (along with "Hand Cannot Erase" and "Oranges & Lemons). If money is tight, you might opt for the simpler CD/DVDA edition, but then of course, you would miss out on all of the other incredible surround elements of this set, particularly "ATTAKcATHRAK" (which I hope to also review very soon).
But when it all comes down to it, the surround mix of "THRAK" must be a part of your collection. As a matter of fact, I'll even say that it belongs in my top 3 favorite surround mixes from King Crimson, along with "Larks Tongues in Aspic" and "Red". It's the ultimate presentation of a great King Crimson album, and I have no reservations giving it a full and well-deserved vote of '10'! THRAK on, everybody!
