Crownshift
Crownshift – Nuclear Blast
Band chemistry is a funny thing and putting a collection of world-renowned musicians together is no guarantee of success; things could sparkle and fizz just as easy as meltdown. I’m pleased to report that with new Finnish “supergroup” Crownshift it is very much the former. Featuring members of Children Of Bodom, Nightwish, Fintroll (and more), each performer brings something of his musical lineage to the band and the result is a heady mixture that crackles with electricity. If there were any doubts to the band’s validity, then they are blown away by opening shot ‘Stellar Halo’. Teasing us with a brief intro before landing the killer blow with a dextrous riff and pounding drums, Crownshift are soon in top gear to deliver a song that surrounds the listener like a raging tempest. There’s no resting on laurels here and this record rocks along like all good debuts should; it’s vital and urgent, and delivered by a group who sound lean and hungry. Vocalist Tommy Tuovinen is in fine fettle, yet the whole band lock in tightly to deliver eight powerful performances with epic closer ‘To The Other Side’ being particularly feisty. With Crownshift you can feel the balance of power changing, and it seems this crew are new pretenders to the metal throne
Review by Peter Dennis