Crown: The One

The One is the debut EP from Crown, a French band comprised of two members, both of whom play the guitar on this release. They describe their sound as sludge, but, in my opinion, there's quite a bit of drone on this release as well. The opening track "Cosmogasm," is one of those tracks that try to capture some kind of cosmic sound, something as broad and as deep as possible. I usually find such tracks too ambitious, particularly for opening tracks that are supposed to give off a good first impression. This track doesn't do very much to introduce the variety of sounds that Crown brings to this release. Instead, it's a heavy track with growling backing vocals. Even though the whole album is instrumental, I think they should have led out with another track that highlights the variety of sounds they bring to the rest of the album.

The One takes a mellower turn after the first two tracks. My favorite song on here, "100 Ashes" is much quieter and slower than the others so far. I loved the atmosphere Crown creates on this track, though I have to admit that at one point they introduce a sound that I swear is coming from a dental drill--not a sound I want to hear for entertainment purposes. These guys are so good at the mellower stuff, they really don't need to mess it up with industrial noise. I'm curious to know what these guys will do with their sound on a full-length release. I hope they'll consider developing their more atmospheric, drone-related sound. I think that they are stronger, more talented, playing in that vein than they are at the doomier, heavier tracks. Stick around for "Mare," though, when these guys pull out some guitar riffing that contrasts beautifully with the quiet opening. Crown excels at creating tension between their sounds. This is a good debut and a solid band.

Track Listing:
1. Cosmogasm
2. The One
3. 100 Ashes
4. Mare
5. Orthodox

Added: March 17th 2012
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 2140
Language: english

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