(Transcending Obscurity)
Debut full-length here from Port Coquitlam, BC’s Crown Of Madness, coming at us from the extremely quality Transcending Obscurity Records way over in India.
It took me a little bit to get my footing on this one, which I like: opener “Visions From A Past Life” felt sort of gothic black, which made me start losing interest pretty fast, but then “Sovereign Blood” lays down a blasting, sideways stumble through the Gorgutsian catacombs, and I’m all on board.
Then “Burdened” gets even faster, and even weirder, like chipmunks scrambling around trying their hand at Karl Sanders riffs on high speed before dropping into a From Wisdom To Hate-style sludge journey. “Ashes Of Mine” continues the vibe, and by this point, that vibe is reaching down into places where death metal doesn’t normally go, a tribute to what bands like Gorguts and, later, Ulcerate brought to the genre, and to what Crown Of Madness here continue forth.
“Deafening” nails the bonkers labyrinthian-DM solo, and something else Crown Of Madness nail here is having this massive record not be too overwhelming (another tip of the hat to From Wisdom To Hate), both in length and atmosphere. An incredibly strong debut from a band that I’ll be keeping an eye on.
Rating: 8.0
Source: bravewords.com
