The Crown/Crown Of Thorns/Metal Blade Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Sweden's  The  Crown  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  metal,  grindcore  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Crown  Of  Thorns"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Metal  Blade  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements.  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  take  the  recording  into  more  of  a  black  metal  direction  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  80's  style  death  metal  growls.

  At  times  the  music  also  captures  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  more  of  an  old  school  extreme  metal.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a very  powerful  sound  to  them,  clean  playing  is  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  of  the  vocals  also  mixing  in  the  more  aggressive  side  of  thrash  metal  as  well  as  some  whispers  also  being  utilized  briefly  and  they  also  add  more  of  a  modern  approach  to  an  old  school  style,  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use of  female  vocals.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anti  Religion,  Satanism  and  Violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Crown  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I  Hunt  With  The  Devil"  "Gone  To  Hell"  "God  King"  and  "The  Storm  That  Comes".  8 out  of  10.

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The Crown/Royal Destroyer/Metal Blade Records/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Sweden's  The  Crown  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Royal  Destroyer" which  will  be  released  on  March  12th  by  Metal  Blade  Records.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into a   heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  growls.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  synths  also  being  utilized  briefly.  Some  of  the  riffing  also  captures  the  raw  energy  of  punk  and  grindcore  along  with  the  guitar  leads  also  having  their  melodic  moments  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Touches  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  as  well  as  some  whispered  vocals  also  being  utilized  briefly,  a  couple  of  songs  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  and  clean  playing. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  the  Ancient  Nordic  Myth  about  the  end  of  the  world.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Crown  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Let  The  Hammering  Begin!"  "Ultra  Faust"  "Scandinavian  Satan"  and  "Beyond  The  Frail".  8  out  of  10.

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The Crown/Eternal Death/Dissoance Productions/3028 CD Re-Issue Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Sweden's  The  Crown  which  continues  their melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  1997  and  called  "Eternal  Death"  with  the  re-issue  coming  out  on  October  19,  2018  by  Dissoance  Productions.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  mostly  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  at  times.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  riffs  also  mixing  in  elements  of  thrash  and  speed  metal   as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  riffing  also  brings  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  also  make  a  brief  return.

  On  this  recording  The  Crown  remained  true  to  their  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  darkness,  Satanism  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Crown  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-release.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beautiful  Evil  Soul"  "The  Serpent  Garden"  "Kill  The  Priest"  and  "Death  Of  God".  8  out  of  10.

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The Crown/The Burning/Dissonance Productions/2018 CD Re-Issue Review

  The  Crown  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  played  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1995  album  "The  Burning"  which  will  be  re-issued  on  October  19th,  2018.

  War  and  spoken word  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  while  the  riffs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  elements  along with  the  solos  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  mostly  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  at  times.

   When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  some  melody  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  synths  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  the  2  closing  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  this  recording  The  Crown  took  the  melodic  style  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixed  them  with  thrash  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  darkness  of  anti  religion  themes  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  being  based  on  the  writings  of  J.R.R.  Tolkien  and  Clive  Barker.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Crown  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Of  Good  And  Evil"  "The  Lord  Of  The  Rings"  "Neverending  Dream"  and  "Forget  The  Light".  8  out  of  10.

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The Crown Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Since the recording of the album we have taken a small well-deserved rest. After more than a years intensive work in the rehearsal and studio. Also we need the time to do promotion and interviews and read all the raving reviews! The album is not released yet. It will be released 16th of march and we will celebrate this date with 2 simultanious releaseparties, one in Sweden and one in Germany. We are also planning and booking the live dates for 2018.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

It’s a new album, new songs, new drummer.  I think it is more or less the same style we have been doing since Hell Is Here (98). That means a mix of different Metal elements with some punk and rock attitude. I feel we have more energy on this new album. We have done the Hard work in the rehearsal room. So it is a real band effort which I think you can hear on the final product.

3.Since 2010 there has only been 3 full lengths, can you tell us a little bit more about the gaps in between recordings?

Well there has been a lot of problems with line up which now is settled. We now have a stable and strong line up that I hope will last for a long time.

4.The band was broken up for 3 years, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?

Well we started when we were 14 year old kids. After 14 years we felt that we needed to take time off and take care of personal business that had been left out. For me it was having children and getting a proper education. Because this Death Metal stuff is great but it does not put food on the table. After having taken care of that the need grow again to get back in the saddle. We have been doing this for so long that it is a Very important and integrated part of our lives.

5.When the band reformed they where known as 'Dobermann' briefly before reverting back to your older name, can you tell us a little bit more about this decision?

The Dobermann was a band project with me and Whiplasher from Deathstars that never happened. Most of the material I wrote for that ended up in another form on the Doomsday King album after I approached the other guys to be part of it again.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We have done many shows that I have found memories of f ex. Wacken , Tokyo, Gothenburg, Los Angeles. The stage performance is straight up full on. Nothing fancy. Just great music and hopefully a lot of energy. We were brought up with old Metallica and the thrash bands so we keep it real.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

Yep there are some shows already booked, UK first up. More shows will be booked so keep your eyes open If you want to join in!

8.This is the first album you have released on 'Metal Blade Records' since 2004, can you tell us a little bit more about returning back to this label after all of these years?

Yeah it was a logical step for us. They have released most of our back catalogue and we have had a good relation working with them before. It feels great working with them again.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to the newer music by fans of extreme metal?

The reviews on the up-coming album have been tremendous. Can’t wait to release it to our loyal fans!

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

We have put most of that aside to focus on The Crown. It’s just Henrik that does live drums for Soils of Fate now and then.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

I think we have found a nice formula with lots of variety and different flavouring that we should keep doing. I think it is important that the music is honest. That you do the music you want to hear yourself. Try to Keep the passion up!  Otherwise it turns stale and boring, trying to fit into the cookie-cutter formats.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I have my musical roots in the thrash, Death, grind and black scene of the 80/90ies. Bands that have influenced me on this new album is Anti Cimex, Venom, Black Sabbath, Deströyer 666, Hellhammer etc.

13.How would you describe your views on Satanism?

We have Never had the image of being some Dark High priests or grand masters of the occult arts. That is not for us. We play Metal. That’s it. Satanism is a tricky subject. Everyone seems to have their own definition. I am interested in mythology, metaphysics and religion. It is interesting to see that when religion and the Church abolished Hell and The devil, these more terrible aspects of the divine turned up in Metal. I am not a satanist. I am a traditionalist you can say. I believe that satan is, in a way, an aspect of the divine and an important piece of the whole.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?

I work and I have a family. I also like reading and liftning weights.

15.Before we wrap up this interview do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thanks for the interview! Check out Cobra Speed Venom If you want to get jackhammer to the brain!

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The Crown/Cobra Speed Venom/Metal Blade Records/2018 Full Length Review

  The  Crown  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  around since  the  90's  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Cobra  Speed  Venom"  which  will  be  released  on  March  16th  by  Metal  Blade  Records.

  Stringed  instruments  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to them  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  which  also  adds  in  some  first  wave  black  metal  style  screams  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  songs  also add  in  touches  of  punk  and  speed  metal.

  As  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  while  a  couple  of  tracks  also  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  synths  and  clean  playing  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  one  of  the  songs  being  an  instrumental  and  they  also  bring  in  a  track  that  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  The  Crown  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  their  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  apocalyptic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Crown  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Destroyed  By  Madness"  "Cobra  Speed  Venom"  "The  Sign  of  The  Scythe"  and  "Ride  The  Fire".  8  out  of  10. 

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