Crown Lands post their classic Prog Rock colours high on the mast.
LOOKS AND SOUNDS A BIT LIKE
A band slash duo who’ve been peddling their musical wares for over a decade yet it feels like they’ve suddenly been thrust into the Prog Rock spotlight. Maybe the backing of the Inside Out label coming into play, catapulting vocalist/drummer Cody Bowles, and guitarist/bassist/keyboardist Kevin Comeau into the Prog stratosphere.
Three albums in, their most recent an instrumental set , Ritual I and II coming less than a year ago alongside their Inside Out signing, Apocalypse sees them fired up to deliver an album to be remembered. The terms ‘demanding’ and ‘fully realised’ have been touted, as has their commitment to the musical philosophy of those who’ve gone before.
With a cover that suggests that there might be a nod or two to the prog greats right down to the artwork, PROG magazine has correctly identified how Crown Lands had filled a Rush-shaped gap, recently refilled by the band themselves. Touted as “a lot less familiar” than the Fearless album that wore those influences so clearly on the sleeve, when your (relatively but not overly knowledgeable) wife says “is this Rush?” as Apocalypse barely begins to play out over the car music system, it might suggest otherwise.
RUN – RUN – RUN
The clues are there – Foot Soldiers Of The Syndicate explodes with a riff from the early Seventies and there can’t be many who would foolishly deny the shrillness that bridges the gap between Cody and Geddy while some may recall the blurb on the Closer To The Heart single when Ged is linked to the posturing high tenor of a certain R.Plant esq. . “Ooh yeah!” indeed. A great trivia game might be the ‘this bit sounds like…’ as the Canadian connection flows robustly throughout the set.
Great track though as is the gently picked through The Looking Glass; all distant and spacey and power chord soaring but restrained crescendos and while Blackstar might be a bit Blue Oyster Cult-y, The Fall proves an exceedingly close relative to a band who encouraged us at one time to Run Like Hell, albeit given an oily guitar figure to hang onto. The focus on a more direct style of writing and arranging is a key feature, extending into an acoustic amuse bouche that comes via The Revenants. Utlitmately though, attention grabber that it is, the grand statement closes proceedings with twenty minutes of chops showing on the title track.
Featuring dragons and demons, warrior cries, bloodlust, disarray and eventually, apocalypse, it’s the epitome of ambitious swords and sorcery Prog. Musical passages swing from pastoral keyboard enhanced guitar arpeggios to frantic guitar/bass/drums workouts, as the narrative unfolds with a dramatic mid song battle sequence, painful yelps and stop start challenges.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Bottom line is that Crown Lands confirm how old school (not the Karnivool / Leprous / Haken styled new take) Progressive Rock is alive and well, although shaking off the influences that might prove a tricky shackle to unlock, still a work in progress.
Here’s Through The Looking Glass:
Crown Lands: Website