When exploring the Swedish death metal world, The Crown may not come to mind as immediately as bands like At the Gates or Dark Tranquillity. Hailing from the same mid-90s time period as their more famous counterparts, The Crown made their mark on the scene towards the end of the decade before their 2004 dissolution, triggered by vocalist Johan Lindstrand’s departure. They would return with Doomsday King in 2010, fronted by Jonas Stålhammar, but with not-quite-memorable results. After falling a bit toward death metal’s periphery, The Crown returns with Death is Not Dead—fronted once again by Lindstrand and making a nice return to form.

Doomsday King was a cut and dry record filled with thrashy grooves and the rare melodic flare. Sure, it was a headbanger of a listen, but that’s more or less it. Death is Not Dead shows a sense of progression that was missing in 2010. It kicks off with the eerily intriguing instrumental “Reign” and slides seamlessly into the aggressive, gut-punching “Headhunter,” which has proven to be quite the grower. The next few tracks—especially “Iblis Bane” and the cover of Paradise Lost’s “Eternal”—showcase the album’s more melodic side. Both have catchy, tremolo-picked riffage, foot-tapping choruses, and shreddy (okay, borderline wanky) soloing. But it works.

Towards the middle of the album, things turn in a heavier, thrashier direction, beginning with “Speed Kills (Full Moon Ahead).” While the added intensity is nice, the drum intro and chugging riffage feels a tad awkward. It’s a three and half minute ass-kicker, but one that doesn’t quite feel properly put together. Fortunately, it slides in and out of a catchy chorus, fueled by the guitar lead, and thankfully, its successor “Herd of Swine” manages to keep the weight up with a more cohesive feel. Approaching the final third of the album, you start to notice how these new tracks tend to build on their Doomsday King, albeit in the same general direction. And just as your interest might be starting to wane, and it seems as though Death is Not Dead has run its course, the band comes back with the impressive “Ride to Ruin.” Just in time, too.

We begin the finale with the perfectly placed “Meduseld,” which kicks off with a brilliant acoustic guitar intro. It’s an ideal respite at this point, increasing in weight as we move through, without losing it’s highly sought after melody. Things wrap up with “Godeater,” a nice slab of thrashy death metal filled with more than enough grooves. It’s a strong track, but one you can’t help but think may have served better in the middle-third of the album. No matter; things close with a bang.

Death is Not Dead is definitely a product of The Crown, and a decent one at that. Johan Lindstrand’s return has proven beneficial. This album knows exactly what it wants to be, and it articulates that pretty well. It’s filled with those thrashy grooves we expect from The Crown, but with a more pronounced—darkened, really—melodic touch that was missing five years ago. It simply tests the waters more…and in the right way. Sure, there are some awkward moments and some transitions that aren’t the most fluid, but on the whole, this is a solid listen, and a certainly a step in the right direction. A half decade well-spent.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”

– Corey

 Death is Not Dead is available now on Century Media Records. For more information on The Crown, including concert announcements and merchandise, visit the band’s website or Facebook page.

Live. Love. Plow. Horns Up.