ALBUM REVIEW: The Crown - Crown of Thorns

For me, Swedish death metallers The Crown remain one of the most underrated bands around. Now nearly 35 years into a journey that started in 1990 as Crown of Thorns in Trollhättan. 

In recent times, it’s the likes of Cobra Speed Venom and 2021’s Royal Destroyer that have spearheaded the band forward, although there are gems to discover in all their earlier works. Whilst the band have always had a visceral, savage edge, they’ve elevated their approach on Crown of Thorns, which as they acknowledge, is the self-titled album they should have made over three decades ago. There are changes to the Royal Destroyer line-up, with drummer Mikael Norén and bassist Mattias Rasmussen, and the return of lead guitarist Marcus Sunesson, re-joining long-time members Marko Tervonen and vocalist Johan Lindstrand. 

The result is an impressive with ten standard tracks embellished by three bonus songs to give nearly an hour’s worth of brutality. But there is more to this album, with the band’s traditional furious speed tempered by ample melody, epic metal elements as well as some raging punkish jagged edges. The band have taken a fresh approach, as Marko Tervonen explains. “We really wanted this to sound as a new fresh album and I believe we did it. I had this idea that we should work a bit backwards, to try something new”. Royal Destroyer had instant appeal, and there is a similar pattern on Crown of Thorns albeit with a different angle. 

I’m no musician but I understand that there’s been a change of guitar tuning which sees the band return to D from their previous C, adding heft to their chugging aural assault. I’d say it works. 

And then there’s the intriguing artwork that adorns the album. Perhaps it’s easier to leave Tervoenen to explain. “I pushed to create the artwork very early in the process. We wanted the album cover to include a bridge from our hometown Trollhättan called “Strömkarlsbron.” It has this cool statue on it named “Strömkarlen” [a water spirit]. It made sense to loop it all back to the town where everything started”. 

The album tears open with the track I Hunt with the Devil, a song written by Rasmussen, who also provided Mind Collapse for the album. The former is a classic opener, relentless in energy and intensity. In fact, the opening trio, completed by Churchburner and Martyrian are as intense an opening punch as you’d want. The change of pace to a black metal stomp on Gone to Hell allows the band to expand their playing, the mid-tempo approach certainly a little different from the blast beat bruising that The Crown tend to serve. 

There are some superb performances throughout which really grab you emotionally. Lindstrand’s guttural roar is as angry as it’s ever been, the man in superb form across the record. Drumming is strong, whilst the lead work of Sunesson screams with effortless control. The battery of God-King contrasts with The Night is Now, another slightly slower and less pulverising. But there’s little here that is gentle – The Crown’s whole raison d’etre is about that punkish power that combines with the nastier elements of thrash and death to provide one boiling cauldron of pure evil. Take one listen to the sheer aggression of The Agitator, a bursting song that erupts and concludes in under two-minutes, and you’ll see why. 

There’s a fitting drive toward the finish line with the bruising Where Nightmares Belong, which features some soft female vocals courtesy of Elina which contrast with Lindstrand’s screaming before we arrive at the towering epic, The Storm that Comes. At nearly seven-minutes long, it’s almost twice as long as many of the songs here, but it’s a fitting conclusion to an album that may still surprise, nearly 35 years since the band formed.

Crown of Thorns is released on 11th October via Metal Blade

Review by Hutch