Review CROWNSHIFT “Crownshift”

Crownshift is a new band founded in 2023. However, the band members are longtime contributors to the Finnish heavy metal scene. Children Of Bodom, Nightwish, Finntroll – these are just some of the bands the guys from Crownshift have been or are still in.

Crownshift’s sound in a way represents the influences of these mentioned bands and that there are some cross references to COB is already apparent when the opener “Stellar Halo” blows out of the speakers. Fast and untamed, the song unleashes a lot of power. It is a real headbanger that shows a good level of heaviness and also offers some great melody lines that help to find an easy way into the music of Crownshift.

The band navigates somewhere between the mentioned COB, but also the sound of Amorphis shimmers through here and there (“A World Beyond Reach” and “Mirage”), while the melodic death metal a la Gothenburg (“If You Dare”) is what I had to think of while spinning the album.

With “My Prison” the record also includes a song that begins calmly and ballad-like. It is a very emotional beginning of a track that grows as it progresses. The heaviness increases while the basic pattern remains throughout. “My Prison” is a versatile piece of music that adds to the flow of songs in the way they are placed on the album.

The highlight, however, comes at the end of “Crownshift”. “To The Other Side” is not only the grand finale, but can also be seen as a summary of everything that has been presented before. With a running time of ten minutes, it is the longest tune on the album and offers varied metal that is modern, melodic and harsh. Entertaining is the best word to describe this little epos that closes this debut album.

“Crownshift” is a strong debut from a band that represents great representatives of Finnish heavy metal. Even though they are sometimes reminding of the mighty COB, Crownshift have developed their own sound and identity. This album is fun to listen to, even for metalheads who didn’t prefer COB, and that’s what counts.