It’s like . . The Crown. I mean, exactly like The Crown. It rocks, it wails, it pounds, it hurts, it heals . . . you know, it’s like a Crown record. You have the relentless Death and Roll beats, the thrash rhythm guitars, and tasty leads. I mean, what’s to say? OK, well, I have to say things. Goes with the territory. I have been a fan of The Crown since I first DLed a track off Deathrace King, and they have never demonstrated any reason to let go of my fanhood. The basic formula has been to take the whole melodeth aesthetic and inject it with pure old school rock, put pretense on the backburner, and just try to fucking smoke all the time, from beginning to end and at all points along the way. Then, produce it so as to bring out every drop of excitement, release it, and start again. This is The Crown, and this is their new record, “Possessed 13”, appropriately marking their 13th year as a unit. They have original bellower Johan Lindstrand back after an album (2002’s Crowned in Terror) with Tomas Lindberg, and that’s just fine. Lindberg’s vocal style was a very good fit for The Crown’s sound, but Lindstrand just sounds . . . Crownier. As for the rest of the squad, everything is as tight, thrashy, and balls-out as ever. Janne Saarenpää’s drumming is at once basic and retardedly tricky, locking in with Osfelt’s bassings to keep the roots of the group as mind numbing as an old MG42 laying down cover fire. The guitars make the songs memorable, playing off one another as you have come to expect. The solos are always fitting, more so in my opinion than with many shredders. They sound like they belong here, like they sprang organically from the music. The production is the same as ever, with the band coming off with depth and flame. Sometimes I think they mix their singer a little high, but who gives a fuck, really? Every instrument is audible and smashes into your ears with just the right amount of force, and the songs are nearly impossible for me not to bang my head to – and I am old and my neck fucking HURTS. I could maybe knock the band for not doing anything new on this record, apart from some singy chorus vocals in a track or two, but what would I want them to change? Some bands belong the way you find them, writing new songs and recording new albums, but never pretending to be that which they aren’t. Not every band can get away with this, but some can, and I feel like The Crown is one of those. If the weapons you have do the job, just keep killing things and let the enemy worry about catching up. Bottom Line: It’s the fucking CROWN. Buy it, fuckhead. I will listen to it again, right now.
