Location: Trollhättan
Country: Sweden
Genre: Melodic death-thrash metal
Full length: Crown of Thorns
Format: Jewel case CD (US), limited digipak CD with three bonus tracks (EU), black + white split vinyl (US) 180g black vinyl (EU) white black marbled vinyl (EU) white black dust vinyl (EU - Ltd. 300) iron-grey marble vinyl (EU - LP + bonus 7", slip mat, patch - Ltd. 500)
Label: Metal Blade
Release date: October 11, 2024
The Crown is as extreme as I remember it from "Deathrace King" (2000) and "Possessed 13" (2003). I haven't listened to them in a long time, but for a band that has been functioning in some form since 1990, "Crown of Thorns" is as fresh and dynamic as any of their previous albums. This is apparent as the first song explodes all over you.
Designing the cover art before recording it, they took inspiration by its depiction of scenery from their hometown in Sweden (which includes the stuff of legend for those interested in reading about the Strömkarlen), building on their traditional formula described as fast, melodic, heavy, epic, punky, and grindy, ramping it up and elaborating with newer elements to keep things fresh. It may appear that all this makes for a stagnant recording, but the excitement of the thirteen tracks resembles that of a band that has just published a debut with unlimited ability to evolve and flourish beyond expectations.
This album isn’t even out yet, yet I'm already raving about it. And I'm not alone; members of Megadeth, Dark Funeral, The Haunted, Dark Tranquility, and Darkest Hour have had good things to say about it. Aside from drawing inspiration from punk and crust punk, The Crown tuned their guitar scales from C to D. It may seem this goes against extreme metal logic, but here it succeeds in brightening the tone and allowing for tighter chugging, greater animation, and precise soloing to complement the heaviness.
Most of the punk, crust and grind influence is in the drums and this really heightens the energy. In order to perfectly balance the guitars, the bass tracks produce more of a crust motif that complements their metal tones when combined with the percussion. The balance the band spawns between this and melody results in something so relentless it easily rivals the retro-thrash of the last decade or two
With near flawless mixing and production to speak for, "Crown of Tborns" does credit to the melodic death-thrash by incorporating minimal groove, tight riffs, and what seems like homages to Slayer, Venom, Sodom and Krokus. It does justice to the melodic death-thrash of the late nineties, emphasizing the idea that sticking to formula can create something new and innovative if you know where everything fits effectively and you know how to properly tweak the formula. It's a prime example of a band making the most of what they have rather than trying to fit as much as they can onto one album. –Dave Wolff
Lineup:
Johan Lindstrand: Vocals
Marko TervonenL Guitar
Marcus Sunesson: Lead guitar
Mattias Rasmussen: Bass
Mikael Norén: Drums
Track list:
1. I Hunt With The Devil
2. Churchburner
3. Martyrian
4. Gone To Hell
5. Howling At The Warfield
6. The Night Is Now
7. God-King
8. The Agitator
9. Where Nightmares Belong
10. The Storm That Comes
11. Eternally Infernal (EU release bonus track)
12. No Fuel for God (EU release bonus track)
13. Mind Collapse (EU release bonus track)
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