For I Am King are a metal band from the Netherlands and this is their third album.
For I Am King play a style of heavy music rooted in melodic death metal and the more merciless strains of metalcore. Think a mix of bands like Darkest Hour and Arch Enemy, with a touch of The Black Dahlia Murder and you’ll be on the right lines.
The heart of Crown is a sound that would be right at home in the mid-00s alongside releases from bands like Darkest Hour, Shadows Fall, Himsa, Unearth, As I Lay Dying, and the like. This heart is then augmented by some more modern influences, giving rise to a very satisfying and enjoyable album.
Heavy and immediate, yet surprisingly complex, with the latter giving rise to some welcome longevity, this is an adrenaline-soaked dive into dynamic heaviness. For I Am King’s style takes enough from melodic death metal to deliver some truly meaty music that’s laced with metalcore accessibility. These metalcore elements are firmly embedded into the wider metallic framework, allowing the band the freedom to write music that is song-focused and compact, yet sits firmly on the heavier side of the musical spectrum.
The songs are snarling beasts of thick adamantium riffs and melodic metal leads. The use of melodies is well-judged, striking a good balance between emotive colour and the crushing heaviness of the bulk of the music. Keyboards enrich the tracks in places, providing emotive accents and extra layers, while the rest of the instruments tear and rage through the lean 38-minute duration. The singer’s acerbic screams are harshly acidic and very effective. Her impassioned performance throughout is aggressive and energetic, and her piercing voice works with the music rather than against it.
For I Am King have impressed, and I would recommend Crown for any fan of metallic heaviness.
Wonderbox Metal 