CROWN – The End of All Things
- Posted on 29-05-2021
Now this one is quite extraordinary and a very cool addition to the post-metal/alternative rock/industrial music canon and something that possesses both heart and soul. We are of course in the company of the latest (and incredibly moody output) by the intriguing outfit CROWN and these mesmerizing, hugely creative, and utterly brooding soundscapes are simply fantastic to immerse itself in and explore in depth.
With their roots planted in experimental industrial rock (for lack of a better term), many of these compositions are full of interesting contradictions where certain parts are disarmingly disorientating whereas others are soothing and even strangely relaxing. Things are never dull around here and I love the way in which the record possesses a subtle trace of ambiguity and ambivalence. The two album highlights, more specifically "Illumination" and closing track "Utopia", are perfect examples of that and they are hauntingly beautiful and remarkably somber yet somewhat pure and weirdly consoling too. Their sonic experiments conjure something profoundly bleak and yet by some miracle there is a hint of comfort present in the hissing electronics and harsh, punishing sounds throughout. There is no shortage of diversity or dynamics either.
If Massive Attack and Radiohead went somewhere terribly dark and decided to do something along the lines of Nine Inch Nails and Swans, perhaps the resulting album would be something akin to "The End of All Things"? But I feel silly saying that simply because there are so many nuances and layers to this moving opus that I actually loathe the idea of comparing it to other acts out there. The label did mention that fans of Godflesh, Killing Joke, Cult of Luna, and Kraftwerk were going to freak when they heard this one (and they are right about that!), but again, I really do feel that CROWN is a thing of its own. End time music has rarely sounded better and more emotionally charged than it does here. You fucking need this one, friends.