The Crown
Crowned Unholy

THE REVIEW

Shortly after the split with the former singer of the legendary At The Gates, and the subsequent return of the original singer Johan Lindstrand, and just a year after the release of “Possessed 13”, an album I hoped would be the album of the rebirth, comes this Crowned Unholy. Unfortunately, this gem, dedicated to the fans of the Scandinavian band, is instead the last chapter of their career. After 14 years of activity, due to the almost total lack of promotion and the inability to conduct decent promotional tours, the market decrees the end of one of the bands that most characterized Swedish death/thrash, authors of 6 very different albums. A band that, like others, followed the path traced by the seminal albums of several Swedish bands of the early '90s (At The Gates in primis) and that due to a certain lack of investment by the labels and a certain media disinterest, could not make the big leap. It is obvious that after years of activity, the 5 Swedes (who were not even of age when they started) decided to call it quits in 2004. It's a real shame for their technique and the immediacy of the extreme music they proposed.

Turning to the album in question, we are faced with the reissue of “Crowned In Terror” with bass lines re-recorded (by the band's "mind") Magnus Olsfelt and especially with all parts re-sung by Johan, the historical voice of the band. An album like this might seem like a mere commercial operation, but it is more than anything else a grand farewell to leave the band's lovers (because it is aimed almost exclusively at them) the album that completes the discography with Johan on vocals. The title is not different just because Johan is on vocals, but in reality, it was supposed to be called that in 2002, the title was then changed at the last moment. Inside the digipack, there is an interesting DVD with a video (the quality is not very high) recorded in Germany showing the 5 playing their highlights with rage. Janne is truly thrilling in the way he plays his drums.

The production quality has definitely increased compared to the original CinT from 2002, but the thing that definitely raises the album's value is Johan's singing presence. I open a parenthesis that may sound like controversy to many. With no disrespect to Lindberg, who is and remains one of the mythical voices of Swedish death, it cannot certainly be said that his voice was ideal for The Crown's style. I say it objectively. Proportionately, it's like when Bruce parted from Iron, he went singing Kiske. Great voice, but it has nothing to do with Iron. Here, in my opinion, the discourse is analogous.

Regarding the songs, the best of the album are surely Crowned In Terror (a real smash), Under The Whip (very fast), The Speed Of Darkness (with structures ranging from death to the more classic of thrash metal), (I Am) Hell (brutal and very wicked) and Death Metal Holocaust (a smell of black metal in the air: evil). All characterized by high execution speeds, annihilating rhythms, death growl to the nth degree, and raw and dark lyrics. The style of The Crown has evolved a lot over time, and with this album (successor of the great Deathrace King), there is the greatest evolution of style and sound with an excellent blend between death and thrash: good technique, speed and power in execution and from time to time also melodic hints and clean voices (once or twice throughout the album) that give a different face to this band that in the first album (still unripe) played a kind of melodic black/death and which at the end of its days has reached its creative peak and leaves a lot to future bands.