Ahh…The Crown! I always had a huge soft spot for these guys. Maybe some of you out there already had a soft spot in the Crown of Thorns-days. Personally the albums “Hell is Here” and “Deathrace King” made a huge impact on me, as I consider those albums as an almost flawless combination of catchy riffs, brutality, pounding bass, fierce drumming, melodic hooks and memorable choruses. It’s hard not to scream along with “1999…Revolution 666”! And although I think Mr. Lindstrand should be the frontman, Tompa did a great job on “Crowned in Terror”, which was also a great album. Those 3 albums have a maniacal vibe, due the combination of elements I mentioned before; The Power of The Crown (Manowar-approved slogan). With “Possessed 13” the catchy hooks became less and “Doomsday King” was even a disappointment if you ask me. The power of The Crown wasn’t present on that album and I don’t think Jonas Stålhammar was the right vocalist for The Crown. 2015 and “Death is not Dead” is the restart with vocalist Lindstrand and new guitarist Robin Sörqvist (Impious) but also the first record without drummer Janne Saarenpää and Marcus Sunesson. When it comes to guitar leads and rhythms, the switch of guitarists doesn’t attract attention really. I do miss the controlled chaos and ultra-fast drums of Saarenpää, as guitarist Tervonen did the drums on this one (there are still a lot of fast parts though). Still, you hear an album that is unmistakably The Crown. Thrashy Death Metal with catchy riffs, some melodic hooks (for example the use of Carmina Burana’s “O Fortuna” in the chorus of “Iblis Bane”), the n roll attitude of Olsfelt’s bass and the raspy vocals of Lindstrand. There is also a Paradise Lost cover present, as they made nice version of “Etneral”. Not the best album in the discography of The Crown, yet “Death is not Dead” is very enjoyable one.(Ricardo)
The Crown – Death is not Dead
Info
- Bands: The Crown
- Labels: Century Media
- Release Formats: 12" vinyl, CD
- Release Years: 2015
- Review Date: May 1, 2017
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