The Crown - Deathrace King

[Mark]

The Crown - Deathrace King
Metal Blade - 2000
By Rodrigo

[img]/images/covers/TheCrown.jpg[/img]

I have been meaning to write a review for Deathrace King for the longest time now but I have been focusing on new releases that this had to go in my long "TO-DO" pile. So finally I was able to find the time to review what was one of the best releases of 2000, The Crown’s Deathrace King. This album is pure unrelenting death metal mayhem. This is definitely not for the weak because this album is crushing from beginning to end. The music features the same aggression and creativity of At the Gates: melodic, fast and heavy guitars courtesy of Marcus Sunnesson and Marko Tervonen, powerful drumming and bass by Janne Saarenpää and Magnus Olfset and the scathing vocals of Johan Lindstrand. However, earlier this year Johan decided to leave the band and was replaced by Tomas Lindberg, who used to sing in At the Gates!!

Ironically enough, Tomas had a guest appearance in Deathrace King on the song "Devil Gate Ride". This song is just pure power. It starts of with a bass line but soon the drums and the guitars come roaring in. This is one of my favorite songs of the album because it really shows off The Crown at its best. Everything is amazing, from the cool drum solo (from 1:31-1:36) to the great twin-guitar work of Marucs and Marko. These two guitarists just do a superb job through out the entire album. Deathrace King is filled with excellent riffing and blasting leads and solos. "Executioner: Slayer of the Light" features plenty of trade off solos by these two guys. The chorus in this song is also very catchy and anthem like. I just always find myself yelling along with Johan "EXECUTIONER!!" This is another great quality I find about The Crown. I just simply enjoy how a great deal of the songs in Deathrace King feature very memorable choruses that just call for the listener to scream along. The songs "Back From The Grave" and ‘Blitzkrieg Witchcraft" are two such examples. But Deathrace King is not just about catchy parts, its about melody and aggression. Another of my favorite songs is "Vengeance". The drumming by Janne is excellent and it provides the song with a totally different tempo and feel from the rest of the songs. The song features plenty of great tempo changes, razor-sharp guitars and excellent solos. Another standout is the explosive and fast first song "Deathexplosion". From the very beginning you know that The Crown will do everything possible to pulverize your eardrums and that is good!

I assume that most fans of this sort of music already own this album. If you don’t then I highly suggest that once you stop reading this that you go to your nearest record store and buy Deathrace King. If you are not a fan of this sort of music then my suggestion to you is to get your hearing checked because if you can’t enjoy this type of album then I can not consider you a metal fan.

Just kidding…

(maybe)

[slayer81]

DK is my one of my favourte all- time albums!!!!!

This fucking rulesss!!!!!!!!!!

[Thrasher84]

Yeha!! DK rules!! My second fave album of all time. After destruction's EP sentence of death.

[Yeah]

Death metal? Some sparse influences here and there...but otherwise, the Crown is primarily, and admittingly, a thrash band.

[Blood_all_over]

it isnt pure death metal, but i dont think it should be labelled thrash metal, its a hybrid Thrash/Death metal style.

yeah Dk rulez, but i prefer Crowened in terror tho.

[Doomcifer]

This album is a STAPLE in any metalheads collection.

[T999]

Deathrace king sure hits the spot. I own this since the very day it was released. The music is killer and the lyrics are breathtaking... A classic the Crown release..

[T999]

And of course the ABSOLUTE the crown "hit" TOTAL SATAN is included in this album.(feaut.Mika-I.N.)

[Labandunga]

ye ay lav it

[MaKaZe]

one word - masterpiece!