Northern Crown - In The Hands Of The Betrayer
Hailing from the state of florida in the United States, Northern Crown are here to bless us with their debut effort entitled "In The Hands Of The Betrayer". I had high hopes for this release but after hearing it I really did not know what to think about it. It's not that it was bad, nor was I disappointed, it's just that it was really different and not your typical epic doom metal. This is definitely not going to appeal to every doom metal fan out there but I will say that there is talent there that will take this genre into the next generation. So I give you all a warning now, that if you are expecting normal run-of-the-mill doom metal you are going to be sorely disappointed.
There is no doubt that this is doom metal, however, it has been submerged into the endless depths of progressive influence.The guitar tones are those like you would find in bands such as Solitude Aeturnus, Candlemass, Confessor, and other bands of the like. At times they even have that nice little added edge to them that compliments the sounds quite nicely. Even though you have the guitar tone typical of that in doom metal, it is in the construction and delivery of the material that you get the ever so thick vibe of progressive influence. From the sound of things there is nothing too complex here as far as the riffs go so as not to over-shadow the other elements on these tunes, but they carry everything along very nicely. The solos aren't all that complex either but there is enough talent there to let you know that if there needed to be more complex playing there would be absolutely no problem doing it. There are also hints of traditional and classical heavy metal in the solos as well. Overall the guitar work is pretty decent and the heavy progressive vibe and influence breathes in a breath of fresh air into the genre of doom metal.
Probably the most true to form aspect about this release is the drum work. Definitely old school doom inspired drumming from beginning to end. Naturally, this is proven on the cover of Candlemass' "Crystal Ball". This cover is extremely well done and is probably the highlight of the whole CD. The drumming here is not complex and is precise and tight, but still, somewhere during the mixing and mastering, the thickness of the sound got lost and, therefore, the songs ultimately lose a lot of the power they could have had if the production was a bit better. It's not totally ruined and these tunes are quite enjoyable, but the production could have been better. One of my favorite aspects of this cd was the vocals. The use a slight "echo" effect, added a very nice cold and despairing effect to the songs. The band definitely knew what they were doing when they added this effect. In no way is this cd a perfect one but when you add things like an echo effect on the vocals, it kind of cancels out some of the imperfections. At the end of the day, these guys did a damn good job despite production imperfections and the odd display of progressive influence, and I look forward to hearing what they have to offer in the future. If you're into doom metal and have an open mind about influences, then I highly recommend this CD.
There is no doubt that this is doom metal, however, it has been submerged into the endless depths of progressive influence.The guitar tones are those like you would find in bands such as Solitude Aeturnus, Candlemass, Confessor, and other bands of the like. At times they even have that nice little added edge to them that compliments the sounds quite nicely. Even though you have the guitar tone typical of that in doom metal, it is in the construction and delivery of the material that you get the ever so thick vibe of progressive influence. From the sound of things there is nothing too complex here as far as the riffs go so as not to over-shadow the other elements on these tunes, but they carry everything along very nicely. The solos aren't all that complex either but there is enough talent there to let you know that if there needed to be more complex playing there would be absolutely no problem doing it. There are also hints of traditional and classical heavy metal in the solos as well. Overall the guitar work is pretty decent and the heavy progressive vibe and influence breathes in a breath of fresh air into the genre of doom metal.
Probably the most true to form aspect about this release is the drum work. Definitely old school doom inspired drumming from beginning to end. Naturally, this is proven on the cover of Candlemass' "Crystal Ball". This cover is extremely well done and is probably the highlight of the whole CD. The drumming here is not complex and is precise and tight, but still, somewhere during the mixing and mastering, the thickness of the sound got lost and, therefore, the songs ultimately lose a lot of the power they could have had if the production was a bit better. It's not totally ruined and these tunes are quite enjoyable, but the production could have been better. One of my favorite aspects of this cd was the vocals. The use a slight "echo" effect, added a very nice cold and despairing effect to the songs. The band definitely knew what they were doing when they added this effect. In no way is this cd a perfect one but when you add things like an echo effect on the vocals, it kind of cancels out some of the imperfections. At the end of the day, these guys did a damn good job despite production imperfections and the odd display of progressive influence, and I look forward to hearing what they have to offer in the future. If you're into doom metal and have an open mind about influences, then I highly recommend this CD.
- In The Hands Of The Betrayer
- A Perfectly Realized Torment
- Crystal Ball (cover Candlemass)
- Approaching, Encroaching Storm
- To Thee I Give An Orchid
