Review FOR I AM KING ‘Crown’

For I Am King (FIAK) is a Dutch metalcore outfit. Starting in 2013 the band premiered in 2014 with releasing an EP called ‘Revengeance’. Two years later the debut album ‘Daemons’ hit the shelves, followed by some live shows.

The sophomore longplayer ‘I’ started to shine in 2018 and nowadays it will be ‘Crown’, the third album, that should help the band to establish themselves in European metalcore.

For I Am King push the pedal to the metal with their music. At the same time, the band doesn’t only count on pure energy. Instead, the quintet works with many facets that provide a great flow and helps them to forestall a certain level of monotony. Listening to the opener ‘Avarice’ combines all these elements. The start of the song has more of an intro-style before halfway the track explodes and morphs towards a brutal metalcore track.

For I Am King is built on guitars handled with filigree savvy and for sure the vocals of singer Alma Alizadeh are another crucial asset when it comes to the music of the band. Alizadeh has a wide vocal range and is has vulcano energy in her voice. From clean vocals to evil shouts and growls, all the aspects are present on the album, which is another factor, allowing the band to add variations to the aggressive sound, like in ‘Liars’.

The heavy pounding ‘Trojans’ was revealed already as a single prior to the album release and it’s the peaceful sound of a piano that starts ‘Pariah’. Shouts and piano, that is an interesting combination, a contrast that is well-placed on the album.

‘Sinners’ is one of the real brutal tracks on this longplayer and still there are melodies embedded which allow songs like ‘Bloodline’ to grow with each time listening to them.

‘Crown’ is the third album of For I Am King and it is their so far most advanced record. Metalcore and death metal unite on this record. Combined with interesting twists and calmer passages the longplayer shows the full potential of this promising band from The Netherlands. Ferocity teams up with filigree, that is ‘Crown’.