Dallas six-piece Crown The Empire have had to take the step of building upon a commercially successful debut album that crept into multiple charts and earned them a place on this year’s Warped Tour. Although a concept album, such as ‘The Resistance: Rise of the Runaways’, has the potential to be weak and drag on, sometimes not actually following a story, this 13-track concept album has been carefully crafted under the watchful eye of producer Dan Korneff (most notable for his work with MCR, Pierce the Veil). Crown The Empire have undoubtedly stepped up to the plate with this album, building upon the success of their sophomore effort.
‘The Resistance…’ opens with ‘A Call to Arms (Act I)’, with its dark spoken voice. This track highlights the growing maturity of the band with their clever deployment of synthesisers and choir vocals to add emotion and tension to the track. It is too often seen with metalcore for bands to simply attach synths that sound out of place rather than complementing the other instruments, yet this is not the case here. By the end of the track we are given a flavour of the vicious guitars and screaming vocals symbolising a literal “call to arms”.
The following track ‘Initiation’ combines drums, scratched guitar and a computerized voice. This is then shattered by the full band and accompanied by a siren before joined by the vocals of Andy Leo and David Escamilla. The song has the diverse ability to also be brought down to quieter sections before erupting back into what is a soaring and catchy chorus. It also has a breakdown to satisfy those looking for a pit. The lyrics however, somewhat show the potential weakness of a concept album. They are hard to relate to for what is supposed to be a commercial audience. I don’t know many teenagers that have watched “the system destroy everything I’ve loved” or even understand the idea of a concept album.
The penultimate track ‘The Phoenix Reborn’ reaches the ultimate point in the concept album whereby the character reaches their point of rebirth and contemplates their future. This track feels more emotionally charged than those previous with the use of violins and military style drums. There is a large breakdown and melodic guitar that symbolises the preparation of going to battle with lengthy vocals that fade. This fade then leads to the beating of a heart and violent battle scenes. This is a powerful technique as it is disturbing not being able to see; the key sounds being the sound of a bullet, thud of a body and then military ceremony. ‘The Phoenix Reborn’ is a definite highlight of the album.
To summarise, Crown The Empire has released an album that should satisfy both the fans and the commercial market. They may not be to everyone’s taste, but it cannot be denied that they are at the forefront of the metalcore genre and have mastered the deployment of synths. The band has matured well from their debut and it is hard to tell that they are still quite a young band, having formed only in 2010. The experience of Warped Tour can only aid this band in growing to become one of great popularity.
4/5
‘The Resistance: Rise of the Runaways’ by Crown The Empire is out now Rise Records.
Crown The Empire links: Facebook|Twitter
Words by George Isaacs (@TryGeorgeIsaacs)
