In 2013, after nearly five years away, Robert Fripp launched a new version of King Crimson — a seven- to eight-piece band with as many as three drummers onstage simultaneously. This group was documented on numerous live releases, but this 3CD set stands out for its heaviness (it approaches doom metal at times, with free jazz interjections from saxophonist Mel Collins, returned to the roster after 40 years away) and for the fact that although it was recorded live in Japan, Canada, and France, all crowd noise has been scrubbed away, leaving the listener with nearly three hours of radically reworked versions of classic Crimson material and some new compositions. The drums are thunderous, as might be expected, but in quieter moments (of which there are many) they become an intricate spiderweb of small, evocative sounds. Meanwhile, guitars, bass and keyboards drift in and out, swirling around each other in the stately-but-cranked improvisatory mode that was latter-day KC’s forte. This is a stunning release that thoroughly recasts King Crimson’s music for the 21st century.