The Crown

Hell is Here (Metal Blade)
by Tim Den

Formerly Crown of Thorns, Scandinavia’s The Crown has proven more than a worthy force in death metal. Extremely brutal songs played tight, fast, melodically, and with crystal clear production, every component pierces like Zeus’ thunderbolt. From the machine gun drumming to the classical theory buried in the riffing, The Crown makes mourning At The Gates less painful by filling in that sorely-missed spot between whirlwind craze and intellectual plateau. Great to hear a band not only play early ’90s death metal, but also advance it.
(2828 Cochran St #302 Simi Valley, CA 93065)