CRASH THE SYSTEM - review added 6th July 2009
Album Review: The Crowning (2009)
For fans of: Hard Rock... and ex-Yngwie Malmsteen singers
Crash The System started as a collaboration between song-writer Sören
Kronqvist and drummer/producer Daniel Flores.
The duo play most of the instruments on the album, although Johan Niemann, Daniel Palmqvist and Manuel Lewys provide additional guitars, Andreas Lindahl
plays keyboard sections and Angelica Rylin adds backing vocals.
Rather than have one lead singer, Sören and Daniel opted to spread the workload out and employ the services of Göran Edman, Mats Levén, Thomas Vikström and Björn Jansson.
The result does to an extent suffer from the usual problem these albums have - lack of continuity. To be honest it isn't as bad as you might imagine because, although the vocalists have individual personalities and styles, they all sing with a similar twang.
Opening track 'Fight Fire With Fire' bursts into life with a hugely pompous chant and flamboyant keyboard riff. Göran Edman, probably the most recognizable singer on the album, puts his mark all over the record like a dog peeing on a bush. It's a fun, totally over-the-top track and comes across like the love child of Vindictiv and Grand Illusion.
Mats Levén's efforts on 'All Because Of You' are top spec too. It still has the air of pompous nonsense about it and the keyboards are just brilliant, but it's a heavier, considerably more forceful track and boasts a stunning chorus. 'I Still Believe In Love' is nice, although it's a touch flowery in comparison to the first couple of songs. The keyboard craziness is reined in and that removes a large chunk of character, although the end result is still hugely memorable.
'Love Is In Your Eyes' is even more flowery and sensible... but likeable all the same. It has the same appeal as a puppy wearing a rose behind its ear: it's cute and adorable but you wouldn't want your mates in the pub seeing you associating with it. 'Enough Of Your Lovin'' is a sickly sweet genteel rocker with a medium pace and all the frantic passion of a Casanova on his day off. The potential is there but you've heard it all before with a lot more fire.
'Mysterious' is considerably more like it. A groovy love song with a bassy beat and wonderful 80's vibe, where the previous track was a paper bag full of water this is a wheelbarrow filled with magma. 'Rolling Stone' is cool too. It builds as it proceeds and ends up as one of the best tracks on the album. 'Don't Tell Me No Lies' may be a title with the sentence construction skills of a drunk 5 year old, but it's actually a decent song. It starts with a splendid symphonic intro and morphs into a sadness-tinged Euro-pop-rocker. Angelica Rylin's backing vocals bring a welcomed extra dimension.
'Broken Glass' is as cheesy as a Stilton platter and kind of like a rude version of a kid's party song. It's god-awful but I can't get it out of my head... so perhaps it's actually genius?! Final track 'Without Chances' sounds almost like a Jorn track. It's a slow plodding beast with heavy guitars overlaying orchestral strings. It really is very good although it would have benefited from being heavier.
The sound quality on The Crowning is first class, as are the performances and compositions. There are plenty of huge choruses and catchy tracks, but there's something (possibly the lack of a single singer) missing from the finished product. With a few of the more flowery tracks chopped and a single singer this could be an amazing release. As it is, it's good - great even - but not quite perfection.
Check out... The production. Such a clear crisp sound you could eat it with sliced ham.
Track List:
01. Fight Fire With Fire
02. All Because Of You
03. I Still Believe In Love
04. Love Is In Your Eyes
05. Take A Chance
06. Enough Of Your Lovin'
07. Mysterious
08. Angel Of My Heart
09. Rolling Stone
10. Don't Tell Me No Lies
11. Broken Glass
12. Higher And Higher
13. Without Chances
Label: Frontiers Records
Band websites: MySpace
