In a surprising yet thrilling development for prog rock fans, King Crimson are currently recording a new studio album — their first full-length studio release since 2003’s The Power to Believe. The news comes directly from Jakko M. Jakszyk, the band’s vocalist and guitarist since 2013, in a new interview with Goldmine Mag where he confirmed, “As we speak, we’re doing a King Crimson studio album.”
While details remain closely guarded, Jakszyk explained that the project has been developing piecemeal, and only recently received the green light from management to move forward in earnest.
"When that will come out and what format or how—that's beyond my brief," said Jakszyk. "But yeah, we've been doing it piecemeal, and then a couple of months ago, the management said, 'Can we?' So, yeah. I've been recording that with a view to it coming out in some format at some point. But who knows when?
Plus, there's also an album I made with Robert before I joined King Crimson called A Scarcity of Miracles. There's a version of it that's about to come out with loads and loads of extra stuff. Because of the nature of how we made that record, there's lots of improvisation and seriously alternate versions of things that we didn't release. There also are future plans for some live film of us playing in various places. There's an ongoing thread. Whether that ever means we'll ever play live again, I don't know, especially after Robert's recent illness."
The album will feature the most recent iteration of the band, a powerhouse eight-piece lineup that had been touring extensively up until 2021. This incarnation, led by Robert Fripp, included Jakszyk, Mel Collins, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Gavin Harrison, Jeremy Stacey, and Bill Rieflin (until his passing in 2020). The lineup earned acclaim for its explosive reinterpretations of King Crimson's deep catalog, as well as several new compositions introduced live between 2014 and 2021.
Since their last studio release, King Crimson have focused heavily on live performances and archival material. Their 2021 documentary In the Court of the Crimson King offered an intimate, often wry glimpse behind the curtain of the band’s intense touring life and internal dynamics. The band’s last live tour wrapped that same year, and since then, public appearances have been sparse — especially after Robert Fripp's recent illness, which has raised questions about whether Crimson will ever perform live again.
In addition to the new studio material, fans can look forward to a reissue of A Scarcity of Miracles — the 2011 collaboration between Fripp, Jakszyk, and Levin that many consider a precursor to the current King Crimson lineup. The new edition will include alternate takes, unreleased improvisations, and extensive bonus material. There are also tentative plans for live video releases from past tours.
