Mottled Lizard

Released in December 1970, King Crimson's third studio album, Lizard, is often viewed as an outlier in the pioneering British prog outfit's nearly half-century discography. It's not easily grouped with 1969's stunning In the Court of the Crimson King debut and 1970 follow-up In the Wake of Poseidon, and along with 1971's Islands it's considered a transitional release on the band's path toward the relative stability of the Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973), Starless and Bible Black (1974), and Red (1974) trilogy. Plus, the Lizard sessions were difficult and the core group lineup acrimoniously collapsed immediately afterward, as bandleader/guitarist Robert Fripp, with lyricist Peter Sinfield, continued brave efforts to save King Crimson from disintegrating as the group's lengthy history was just getting underway…

Although formed in Bielsko-Biala, Poland in 1990, Lizard escaped right from the start from the typical Neo Prog sound of the local bands. Singer Damian Bydlinski, guitarist Miroslaw Worek, keyboardist Andrzej Jancza, bassist/guitarist Janusz Tanistra and drummer Mariusz Szulakowski were the original members, who focused on recording the first demo tapes of Lizard and building a cult fame through live appearances. In 1996 the band came to the attention of the Polish label Ars Mundi and the same year they recorded their debut ''W Galerii Czasu'' (''In the gallery of time'') at the SL Studio in Gdansk, released in 1997…