Deathcrown – Living Hell (Review)

This is the debut EP from US death metallers Deathcrown.

Raw, nasty, old-school death metal with a Swedish-styled delivery, plenty of groove, lightning solos and a modern freshness? Yes please!

The above description is all you need to know in many ways, but don’t make the mistake of dismissing Deathcrown as just another Swedish death metal clone, that would be a a grave injustice.

Sure, they play the style with authenticity and with a commitment to the original sources, but what sets this release apart is the quality of the songs and the energetic passion that is apparent as soon as you press play.

Upbeat and energetic, these songs really hit the spot. I have a weakness for anything Swedish-styled, but Deathcrown manage to take a well-worn genre and make it sound fresh and vibrant. In this way they kind of remind me of the equally wonderful Earth Rot; both bands manage to take a classic sub-genre and infuse it with modern aggression and energy. The results speak for themselves, and both bands are at the vanguard of revitalising the style, in my humble opinion.

Heavy, groovy and full of tasty solos and leads, the band, (who number current and ex-members of Iron Reagan, Darkest Hour, Disinterment and Arsis in their ranks), spend these all-too-short 13 minutes tearing things up with wild abandon.

Anyway. Enough from me. Just get this.