Band: Crown The Empire
Release: The Fallout (Album)
Release Date: Out Now
Texans always know how to make a scene wherever they go, whether it be from the deeply religious side of things thanks to Sheldon Cooper’s mother or having some of the best steaks in the world. Although when you have a band such as Crown The Empire who claim their music is a mix between hardcore and electronica you can’t help but wonder if their latest album ‘The Fallout’ will sound like a mixture of Asking Alexandria and Blood on the Dance Floor, just much worse. Although the six-piece do win the award of some of the most clichéd breakdowns known, they stick to their guns and still manage to produce a pretty good album.
If listened to properly, the piano melody and the soft vocals that sweep into ‘Oh, Catastrophe’ should scare the living crap out of you for its haunting surrealism of the clean vocals until the storming ‘The Fallout’, which is pretty much near perfect. Ignoring the chugging breakdown that almost any other band could think of, ‘Makeshift Chemistry’ utilises electronics to good use and not over clichéd whilst Brent Taddie hammers out a strong and furious backbeat for the song. In the meanwhile ‘The One You Feed’ has the bands addiction use of the annoying piano and wins the award for the best clichéd breakdown on the album, although ‘Menace’ and ‘Graveyard Souls’ win the album’s heart back for us, with the twin vocals of Andy Leo and David Escamilla. Although ‘Evidence’ brings in the still annoying piano and your average-joe gang vocals before exploding into a metalcore finale, ‘Johnny’s Revenge’ opens and makes you think “What the fuck am I listening to?” with the accordion instead of the frustrating before it breaks down into a great ending.
The Fallout isn’t exactly going to be placed up in your top 10 modern metal albums of the year list, but bear in mind these guys have tried. It’s loud, packed with bits and bobs of originality waiting to explode, and once they get out of the cliché habit of one note breakdowns and annoying piano synths then Crown The Empire may just as well create the best album you can hear the next time around.
8/10
Reviewer: Connor Flello
