Label- Unique Leader
Release Date - 25 March 2022
Words- Chris Fletcher
Make sure you bend with your knees and lift with your legs everybody - this one is seriously heavy. Hailing from Colorado, Crown Magnetar are back with their third release since emerging from the depths in 2017. New EP ‘Alone In Death’ features six tracks and just over nineteen minutes of pulverising brutality, leaving you wanting more and questioning your sanity in equal measure. Fans of Lorna Shore and Thy Art Is Murder in particular will appreciate the sheer groove and heft that is on display, yet Crown Magnetar have managed to forge their own sound within the walls of deathcore.
Opening with a siren-esque electronic intro (as if to warn you that you’re in danger), the title track then lurches straight into a riff and blast beat combination that is guaranteed to make an instant impression. From here there really is no let up as the record continues in this fashion. Sounding like a machine purpose built to pulverise with almost surgical precision, the band seem intent on pushing the boundaries of this genre. Whilst other bands have sought to do this by veering into more melodic terrain, Crown Magnetar continue to embrace the heaviness with riffs and breakdowns so dense, no light can escape their gravity.
The chugging riffs vary in speed but never in nastiness, and the blasting drums constantly make you pull faces you wouldn’t want anybody to see, but the most impressive aspect of the record is the dynamism of the vocals. Not content to stick to one style, vocalist Dan Tucker utilises both guttural growls and higher pitched shrieking in order to keep the aural assault varied. This is demonstrated superbly on track four ‘The Pain Of Existence’ where the interplay between both vocal approaches showcases just how adept Dan is at these styles.
Whilst the obvious first impression of this record is understandably how heavy it is, there is also an emotional weight to the record that the band have tried to explore more when compared to previous releases. Lyrically, ‘Alone In Death’ tries to reflect the pain, isolation and hardship that everybody experiences in life, and this manages to make these six tracks all the more impactful.
That being said, if you’re looking for a way to properly describe this album, the best thing to do would be to take out your dictionary and beat yourself over the head with it. Despite releasing their debut full length ‘Codex Of Flesh’ just last year, the band are back to give us all another collective beating. Crown Magnetar aren’t messing around here, they’re ready to unleash a monster.
9/10.
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