Whilst The Crown don’t have the same sort of lustre as they did in their mid to late ’90s heyday, it’s still a name that will draw certain amount of attention from the extreme metal crowd. Vocalist Johan Lindstrand’s return to the fold on 2015’s Death Is Not Dead wasn’t as triumphant as hoped, with the album falling flat after a five year wait. Three years on, the Swedish death metallers return and are ready to strike with Cobra Speed Venom.
There’s a sense of foreboding as the unsettling string intro of “Destroy By Madness” gets the album underway, before a smouldering tremolo riff over a mid tempo back drop finds the band positioning themselves to unleash the ensuing blast beat ridden chaos. It’s a crushing, old school death metal onslaught that lets you know from the off that the album is a step up from its predecessor. The drumming in particular is very busy and helps to carry some of the less inspiring moments that pop up with relative frequency. The material is also given a significant boost by a production that emphasises an uncompromisingly heavy bottom end, with the abrasive guitar tone also giving it that classic death metal feel. Lindstrand’s vocals are serviceable but inconsistent, and whilst not too detrimental to the album overall, there’s a certain lack of depth and conviction that could be improved upon.
“Iron Crown” is the first sign that the band are still capable of delivering high quality songs; a catchier, death infused thrasher with something of a hook in the chorus and some good melodic sensibilities in the lead work. “In the Name of Death” mixes some punkier riffs and chord changes with a Gothenburg style harmony, before “We Avenge!” goes for a blunt, brute force approach that is disappointingly short on quality riff action. Four songs in, and four variations of The Crown’s melody infused death thrash template, so the album is nothing if not ambitious with regards to compositional style. The issue really is that, whilst the album is never terrible, it is rarely compelling, with most songs merely ‘decent’, for lack of a better term. The title track suffocates you with a relentless pace and sinister atmosphere, but musically it is quite forgettable; a problem that “Rise In Blood” also suffers from. “Necrohammer” has some nice, crushing grooves mixed in with the Swedeath tinged thrash, but is a mess structurally, whereas the accessible, melodic strains of instrumental “Where My Grave Shall Stand” make for an experience that is pleasant, but not overly engaging.
The aforementioned variety found on Cobra Speed Venom is evident on closer “The Sign of the Scythe”, and it seems The Crown wanted to drop everything into the mixer and see what came out with this one. This diversity results in the strongest track on the record, with a deliberately paced build up transitioning into a pulsating, energetic burst of scintillating melodic death metal. An ominous, moody break at the three minute mark paves way for a passage of searing melodies; drummer Henrik Axelsson leading the charge with a truly exceptional showcase of rhythmic battery. The goal was clearly to end things in epic fashion, and there’s little doubt they succeeded here. Mid album number “World War Machine” also deserves a shout out; a death metal groover that gets things spot on with its crunching, mid tempo stomp and flourishes of swifter fury.
Cobra Speed Venom is something of a return to form, at least in comparison to Death Is Not Dead, but it never truly catches fire. There are some great songs, but they are dotted throughout the tracklist, making it difficult for The Crown to build up any momentum. Fans will certainly enjoy it, if only due to what came before, but it’s not going to topple any of their early works. Overall, a respectable but ordinary effort.
Rating:
Highlights: “Iron Crown”, “World War Machine”, “The Sign of the Scythe”
Find The Crown online:
Facebook / Twitter / Official Website
Cobra Speed Venom is available now via Metal Blade Records, and can be purchased here.
