Crown the Lost - Reverence Dies Within
Self-Released
2006
I ain't gonna lie: these guys sound like Nevermore. Then again, so does Eidolon, and that band doesn't seem to catch flak for it. Sounding like another band can be both bad and good - bad in that it's unoriginal, but good in that it can sound like something (else) good. I like Nevermore, and with that understanding, let's continue.
It surprises me that anyone sounds like Nevermore. That's a tough target to hit. But these vocals are amazingly Warrel Dane-esque and the spiky, fast runs on guitar are pure Jeff Loomis. Overall, the sound is melodic thrash updated with modern speeds and blastbeats. The drumming is energetic, and the guitars are wickedly shredding. Even the most air-guitar-challenged will reconsider here.
My only gripe is how harmonically conservative the songs are. They stay in the same standard scales and chord progressions, leading to a lack of tension and release. Nevermore's core sound is the same, but it adds depth with dissonance and alternate tonalities. In fact, on Nevermore's last album, Dane sang over some downright challenging harmonic settings.
This isn't anything time can't fix, though. Most bands don't write first albums this strong, let alone reach this level of technical proficiency. Crown the Lost obviously have skills, so I'm excited to hear them apply them more adventurously in the future. In the meantime, you can pick up this CD directly from the band.
Labels: clee, heavy metal, self-released, thrash metal, usa
3 Comments:
Eidolon are pretty close to Nevermore, yeah, but I don't hear it here, really. Which is strange. The singer doesn't sound anything like Warrel Dane for me. He reminds me of an 80's screamer, but for the life of me I can't remember who it is. Maybe it'll come to me.
The riffs aren't like Nevermore either. How strange that I simply can't hear what you're talking about. It's quasi-melodic thrash, almost speed metal (in that vague -now dead- space between power metal and thrash metal, also known as 'metal blade metal') with questionable 'modern' blastbeats and so on. Nevermore have been employing octave chords, fourths cords and a lot of chromatic embellishment over otherwise classic metal pentatonic minor and natural major scales for a while now, starting with their peak - in my opinion - The Politics of Ecstasy and depressingly rehashing and overdramatizing the same thing since, with diminishing returns. These dudes sound like Steel Prophet in comparison. Definately more straight ahead metal.
You know, the Nevermore thing didn't hit me until I listened to the album a few times. There's something about the vocal phrasing, to me, that's very Warrel Dane. I agree that the overall riffing style isn't the same as Nevermore, but judging from the single-note phrasing, I bet the guitarist(s) have listened to that band quite a bit.
Vocals don't sound too Warrel Dane to me. I'm not 100% sold on this, but the leads kick ass and some of the riffs are truly stellar. Extremely promising for sure.
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