Album Review: The Crown - Crown of Thorns
Reviewed by Tim Finch
For many, Swedish melo-death journeymen The Crown peaked with the release of their fifth studio album, 2002’s ‘Crowned In Terror’. Some would argue otherwise, for the band have a vast back catalogue which many a fan could spend hours comparing and debating. Many a year has passed since the aforementioned record and this October the band release their twelfth studio album ‘Crown of Thorns’ via Metal Blade Records.
The album starts out dark, a thrashy riff leads us into an almost black metal segue fuelled by speed, rasping vocals and drums throbbing at a million beats per minute. ‘I Hunt With The Devil’ sets a foreboding tone for the album, a departure from what a regular listener to The Crown may expect.
As the album progresses, normal service is resumed; a gorgeous riff leads us into a wonderful blast beat barrage before ‘Churchburner’ kicks in at full pelt. ‘Martyrian’ draws influences from Amon Amarth to create an anthemic tune that will be ear-worming its way through the listeners psyche for days.
As the album progresses, the familiar stylings of the band bed in, an experimental start the album settles into the awe-inspiring melo-death the band have been known for. ‘The Night Is Now’ melds melody with brutality in equal measure, whilst ‘The Agitator’ is a thrashy number, hitting at breakneck speed, too fast for any mere mortal to bang their head in time to.
It's an interesting release from a band leading the way in the Swedish melo-death movement. The experimentation early on highlights a band willing to push the envelope, but the direction changes quickly into the melo-death groove they have perfected. What would a full genre-bending album have sounded like? We can but guess. ‘Crown of Thorns’ gives glimpses of where the band might go, whilst keeping the loyal fanbase firmly on board with the latter half of the record.
