The Crown - Doomsday King

Release Date: September 27, 2010
Label: Century Media

TRACK LISTING

1.  Doomsday King
2.  Angel of Death 1839
3.  Age of Iron
4.  The Tempter and the Bible Black
5.  Soul Slasher
6.  Blood O.D.
7.  Through the Eyes of Oblivion
8.  Desolation Domain
9.  From the Ashes I Shall Return
10.  He Who Rises in Might -
       From Darkness to Light

Total playing time:  44:07

It’s been 7 long years since The Crown bowed out with Possessed 13.  The members all went their separate ways after re-recording Crowned in Terror as Crowned Unholy.  Their split didn’t make too much sense and seemed rather abrupt.  In early 2009, everyone but vocalist Johan Lindstrand (One Man Army and the Undead Quartet) reunited. Vocalist Jonas Stålhammar (God Macabre) was hired and now we have what may be The Crown’s crowning achievement.

Stålhammar’s vocal style sounds like a mashing of Lindstrand and the legendary/Crowned in Terror throat Tomas Lindberg.  He has a great snarling raspy delivery that perfectly fits.  The production of the disc gets the band back to the more crisp sound but what really peels off faces it the pace and aggression of Doomsday King. The title track immediately goes for the throat with a chugging wall of bludgeoning riffs with a hint of melody.  Yes, The Crown is back.

“Angel of Death 1839” clearly makes a nod to Slayer with total “Raining Blood” hook but is about 5-times faster than anything the aforementioned band has ever put on tape. “Age of Iron” continues to ratchet up the pace and deliver another salvo of dizzying riffs.  “The Tempter and the Bible Black” brings the band back from the speed of light to much groovier territory.  The track could have easily appeared on the chunky and grungy Possessed 13 but gives this disc some nice breathing room.  Both “From the Ashes I Shall Return” and the Satanic “He Who Rises From Might - From Darkness to Light” find The Crown’s riffs now pushing towards Black Metal.  Especially the latter which also features a few brief moments of Dissection-styled acoustic guitars.   While The Crown is still fully founded in Thrashy Death Metal, the Blackened moments up the ante and the album’s closer makes for one of their strongest and most complex of the disc.

“Soul Slasher” cranks the mayhem right back.  Built on the collision of speed and groove, the track cranks one right out of the park.  “Blood O.D.” touches upon hyperblasting at times but does slow down enough to allow for a few brief gasps of air.  “Through the Eyes of Oblivion” is built on a great foundation of buzzing guitars and frenetic paces while “Desolation Doman” rips out some great chugging riffs and a mid-paced midsection that is full-on Melodic Swedish Death Metal.

Doomsday King is easily The Crown’s best disc since Deathrace King.  Actually, it might even be their most ferocious collection of blasts, rhythms and riffs.  Which is difficult to state since it is something The Crown have never skimped on.  But Doomsday King benefits from delivering a megadose of the goods - no track deserves to be passed over.  The distance between releases and that there are few bands crank it out like they do also helps with the success of the disc as more of The Crown is a good thing.  Any fan of the band should have no issue with Doomsday King.  In fact, it may even gain the band a new following.  Highly recommended to those who like blistering fast Thrash-based Swedish Death Metal. 

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*Comments:

Reviewer: Rottenbucher

October 30, 2010