The packaging
The good
I love the cover. Very simple. We have a thick booklet that’s very nice with lyrics, some very menacing skeletal angel artwork, and even song commentary from the band.
The bad
The packaging of this is a class act all the way and is one of the nicest looking releases to come across my desk lately. I wish more bands would put the effort into their booklets as The Crown has.
The music
Once again, no "Good Vs. Bad" mainly because I can't think of anything particularly good.
I just got done writing the review for the Elvis CD “Good Rockin’ Tonight” which is the same vocal track of some old Elvis recordings with completely new music. Here we have the opposite...the same music with new vocals.
The Elvis CD got a good review because the original recordings sound horrible. It would be hard to screw them up...the originals are bad, so a new twist makes it work.
Now, if the guys who did that CD opted to go in and redo the music for say...the album “Elvis Presley” or the soundtrack to “Jailhouse Rock,” there’s no way it could’ve gotten a positive review...you don’t tamper with greatness. If it ain’t broke–don’t fix it. The Crown has made that mistake. They took an album that wasn’t broke, that was in fact, flawless, and “fixed” it.
“Crowned Unholy” is, musically, the same album as “Crowned in Terror.” Original vocalist Johan Lindstrom rejoined the band after the band had a falling out with Tomas Lindberg. For whatever reason, the band decided to redo the vocals of the album with the original singer...this way if you own everything the band put out other than “Crowned in Terror” you have everything the band ever recorded with the original singer.
Allow me to say this, I’ve never been a big fan of The Crown...they’re not bad, but I never felt particularly compelled to buy their older albums. When “Crowned in Terror,” the original version of this album, came out I picked it up as I’m a fan of Tomas Lindberg. I expected a decent, melodic sort of death metal record and wound up with one of my favorite albums of all time. “Crowned in Terror” was my pick for album of the year...it is my pick for the best album in this whole “melodic death metal” genre. No lie. It’s an album I’ve listened to hundreds of times and still love.
When I heard about this, I was hesitant...but for some foolish reason I bought it anyway.
My personal preference for vocalists goes to Tomas. Johan isn’t bad and perhaps if I never heard the original version I’d enjoy this, but when I listen to it, it just doesn’t hold up. Johan does a fine job on the band’s other releases so I’m not bashing him, but I just feel this album suits Tomas better. I also do not approve of the clean vocals, which though infrequent, have no place on this album. The dual vocal track on “Under The Whip” is fine...but what the hell were they thinking with “The Speed of Darkness”?
The bass track was also rerecorded though to me, it’s not all that noticeable.
What is noticeable is the new drum sound and the new mix...the original sounded excellent...mixed well, produced in the way a death metal album should be...raw but polished when it had to be. The drum sound on this is horrible. The original was clear and powerful...this is a muddy wall of sound and the reason why is the drummer added a digital “improvement” to every drum beat. So he didn’t rerecord, he just added new sounds over the drum tracks. It’s not pretty ladies and gentlemen.
As far as what the band sounds like, they play the melodic European death metal that is so popular with the kids these days. So many bands have this sound these days (including American bands like Darkest Hour who do it better than their European counterparts) that there isn’t much to set them apart. What makes “Crowned in Terror” so incredible is the song writing...the songs were brutal, intense, yet catchy enough that were familiar after just a few listens...actual song structure, strong melodies, yet pounding vocals made it a strange style. If you want to hear the best of the best of that style, The Crown is a good place to start.
The DVD
There is a bonus DVD to this that some would say give this release redeeming value. I do not. The bonus DVD is a nicely recorded hour long live show...multiple cameras with a reasonably good, though imperfect, sound mix. The reason this bonus does not make the release essential is because The Crown just announced a triple DVD set that will be released at some point in the near future. If you really can say that you cannot wait for a triple DVD set, then I guess it’s worth picking up, but I’d wait it out. There’s nothing wrong with the DVD, but when you have so much coming, it’s not an incentive. My only gripe with the DVD is that the venue has a tiny stage...the band basically is forced to stand in place which leaves no room for stage presence. I don’t know how many people would actually sit and watch this...I just throw it on and listen to it while doing other stuff...but it really doesn’t make for interesting viewing.
Recap
If you are a fan of metal, then “Crowned in Terror” should positively be in your collection. This only belongs there if you’re a diehard fan of The Crown.
