Video Review: THE CROWN In The Name Of Death by Dave Wolff

THE CROWN

In The Name Of Death

Official video from the album Cobra Speed Venom, released on Metal Blade Records March 16, 2018

Directed and produced by Kalle Johansson and Patrik Skoglow

Place of origin: Trollhättan, Sweden

Genre: Melodic death/thrash, death n roll

Release date: July 30, 2018

I’m listening to In The Name Of Death for the first time and immensely contented to hear The Crown are as lively and vigorous as they were on past full lengths The Burning (1995), Deathrace King (2000) and Possessed 13 (2003). The band formed in 1990, disbanded in 2004 and reformed in 2009. Cobra Speed Venom sees them broadening their range (joined by Alexander Bringsoniou on violin and cello and Kenan Avdic on synthesizer) while retaining the raw, bellicose sound they’re notorious for, This is the first promotional video promoting the band's new CD. The point is they’re not out to revolutionize underground music, but to scourge and shred anyone in their path. How convincingly do they pull it off? It depends on whether death n roll falls within your tastes. If it does, this song will accelerate your adrenaline to near impossible levels. The clip begins and ends with the atmosphere of a grindhouse horror movie, somewhat identical to Lucio Fulci’s 1979 video nasty Zombie, which continues to attract new fans. These sequences present a graveyard in an undisclosed location in which a hand digs from the earth, complete with a creepy keyboard soundtrack. Between them is a performance sequence featuring the band in a nameless venue as the track is dubbed over it. The live scene is professionally shot, black lit and purposefully edited with a grindhouse ambience as a small, rabid gathering responds to the energy they project from the stage. The band members appear comfortable with their instruments and with working together. Their concentration is on the song they’re playing and their fans, and there are no gratuitous close-ups. It’s a take on what it would be like if they appeared in a grindhouse movie. The cut back to the graveyard is short and sweet, implying the start of the zombie apocalypse. Check the video out and if you’re so inclined order the new album through Metal Blade. Updates can also be read at The Crown’s new official website. -Dave Wolff

Lineup:
Johan Lindstrand: Vocals
Marko Tervonen: Guitar
Robin Sörqvist: Lead guitar, backing vocals
Magnus Olsfelt: Bass
Henrik Axelsson: Drums