With their 2014 debut The Wreckage of Stars, Pennsylvania's Black Crown Initiate poised themselves to dive headfirst into the running for just who would be the next great progressive death metal band on the planet. They might have a little ways to go before unseating the meteoric rise of Fallujah, but with their sophomore release Selves We Cannot Forgive, BCI are certainly in the running.
Comprised of James Dorton (Vocals), Andy Thomas (Guitar and Vocals), Wes Hauch (Guitar), Nick Shaw (Bass), and Jesse Beahler (Drums), BCI blend brutal death metal with atmospheric, complex progressive rock for a style that's hard hitting & extreme yet thought provoking. As described by their press folks "Black Crown Initiate's music is a heady collection of thinking-man's heavy atmosphere, a musical kindred spirit to the masterpieces laid down by progressive alt-rock kings Tool; the dynamic body of work from death metal dirge fueled shamans Opeth; the metal-meets-mystic dramatic flair of Mastodon; and the genre-defining crunch of Meshuggah. " That's very well put indeed, and a great reference point if you are just discovering this band now. I'd say this latest release sees the band going further down the road into the atmospheric & progressive side of their music, with tracks like "Again" and "Belie the Machine" showing a denser, softer side to their attack that blends so well with their pummeling, pulverizing nature. Clean vocals have more of an impact here, battling with the brutal death growls quite nicely (think of the back & forth work of Opeth or Borknagar) but also taking center stage on more than a few occasions, especially on the powerful title track. For sledgehammer, crushing death metal with a blazing, proggy touch, can't go wrong with "Transmit to Disconnect", and the equally pummeling yet highly textured "Matriarch" shows just how far this band has come in their songwriting skills. Even "Vicious Lives" shows tremendous growth, as they combine melancholy atmosphere with folk, prog, and metal flavors, the clean melodic vocals just adding the icing on the cake. If you happen to purchase the vinyl version, there is a great bonus cover of the King Crimson classic "Fallen Angel", which tells you all you need to know about just where these guys are coming from as far as inspiration.
Stunning is perhaps the best way to describe Selves We Cannot Forgive, an album from a band who are surely going to be the talk of the extreme metal world before long. Black Crown Initiate are the real deal folks, so make sure you don't miss this one!
Track Listing
- For Red Cloud
- Sorrowpsalm
- Again
- Belie the Machine
- Selves We Cannot Forgive
- Transmit to Disconnect
- Matriarch
- Vicious Lives
- Fallen Angel (vinyl bonus)
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