Band: Crown Jewel Defense
Release: Crown Jewel Defense (Album)
Release Date: Out Now
Crown Jewel Defense are amongst a new generation of bands. A generation where as long as you have the Facebook ‘likes’ you’ll do alright without the need to actually release any music. And while this begrudges the traditionalist in us, it’s quite an admirable feat when you think about it. Nevertheless here is their first full length installment which they have undoubtedly put much time and effort into and thankfully it shows.
Self-proclaimed as a stadium rock band this is the main theme which runs throughout. Everything about it screams 80s style Bon Jovi-esque anthems without feeling dated or rehashed. Of course the sound in itself is far away from any riff that Sambora ever conjured but the grandeur associated with his style is rife in this record.
The gloriously cheesy vocals provided by Taylor Hood compliments the hugely catchy guitarwork effortlessly with classic Рif not a little clich̩ Рlyrics. The choruses are born for huge crowds to just scream them back at the band and no doubt this was in mind whilst writing the record with the absolute belief this would happen.
Production-wise the album is flawless. It’s so highly polished, it’s quite astonishing (if not a little too perfect). Songs like ‘All I Need‘ and ‘Clip My Wings‘ features a massively crunchy guitar tone to fit the slightly heavier riffs whilst the acoustic guitar in ‘Die Alone‘ is captured perfectly before tearing into a fist-clench-worthy solo.
The album doesn’t exactly take many risks but what did you expect? The material is solid and clearly toiled over. The hooks are huge and the choruses even bigger which may explain such the large following. If you’re ever in the mood get your hairbrush out and have an old-fashioned sing-along I suggest you pick up Crown Jewel Defense.
8/10
Reviewer: Jack Birch
