Northern Crown
The Others
(Self-Release)
Holy moley, the debut full-length from Florida’s Northern Crown is nothing short of amazing. I’ve heard enough doom in my life to tell just from the first listen that this record will put these guys on the map for sure. But why? Because first of all, they’re not restraining themselves just to doom. Yes, the Candlemass influence is there, but aside from the cannonading bass riffs and the gloomy organ atmosphere, these guys are in a league of their own. That doesn’t even include the impeccable leads divulged forth by guitarist/keyboardist/bassist Zachary Randall, of which Frank Serafine adds notable elements with his additional axe support and vocal utterances. He was inspired by artists like Jorn Lande, Dio, Rob Halford and Roy Kahn, but sounds like neither and the act is better for it. The man has a sense of emotional pain lodged deep into his vocal chords in a way that some of the very best vocalists in this genre are able to embody, which makes the performance come off flawless. You’re getting what sounds like not only a classic Candlemass disc, but a little more than you might have expected.
When I say that, I’m not referring to some crazy marketing gimmick in order to sell you an approach that you’ve heard a million times, (even though The Others is an insanely proficient recording in that regard) because there actually is an approach here that I’ve never personally heard on a standard doom album, especially one so close to the classic territory as this one. That obtuse approach comes in on the third track, “No One Came To Mourn Me” which is one of the best songs I’ve heard all year. While it’s obvious that I have “metal ears” and “robot ears” respectively, I never thought that I would ever hear a record tuned to my more metallic tastes, actually encroaching upon my electronic tastes. In other words, Northern Crown essentially threw all of their doom elements in the trash (No! Don’t stop reading yet!) in favor of what is a electronic wave piece with light guitar influence. Serafine’s vocals lend well to this computerized doom approach, by which I’d buy an entire album of (if you want to know the truth.) It WILL strike some doom fans as a bit of a shovel to the back of their head, as they wonder if someone switched out their doom album with some kind of electronic disc, but it should work for the more open-minded types that can accept the fact that we are in the year 2016 and evolution is good for the genre.
That being said, you can skip the cut if it’s too much for you and the rest of the record will continue the Candlemass-influenced approach to doom metal, but I think it’s a good thing that these already talented musicians are showing that they can do more with the doom genre, than just… well, doom. Northern Crown’s earlier released EP, Hands Of The Betrayer was a relatively good taste of what these gentlemen were capable of, but now it seems to have cemented in a form of doom metal (and electronic doom) that should attract a lot of fans, especially the unexpected bunch that will just come in for the gloomy electronic piece. (Because that sort of thing just happens sometimes, and maybe it will be enough to give these guys some label backing.) It’s insane that such a great act as this one has gone unnoticed and that this record had to be self-released, but it’s a great disc in a genre that has been swamped with countless derivative approaches. Northern Crown demonstrate that they can not only craft fine doom, but that they are capable of myriads more. The Others is a record that you’ll enjoy just from the first listen and stands as one of the best doom albums of the year. You’ll definitely want it in your collection.
