Album Review - Crash the System - The Crowning

The very symphonic and immensely tight Crash the System album comes as a pleasant Scandanavian treat. Daniel Flores from Mind's Eye and Sören Kronqvist (songwriter for Michael Bormann and House of Lords and noted former Finnish 400 meter hurdle champion in 1989) collaborated to create the best AOR disc they could make. Enlisting four well known vocalists, Göran Edman (Yngwie, Street Talk, Brazen Abbot, Glory, etc), Mats Levén (Yngwie, Treat, Therion), Thomas Vikström (Talk of the Town, Candlemass) and Björn Jansson (Ride the Sky, Tears of Anger), who all sound pretty similiar (except for Edman, who is unmistakable to the discerning listener), they forge ahead for "The Crowning".

It is an album of subtle beauty, and blunt knock-your-socks-off candy sweet harmonies drizzled in a modern symphonic AOR sauce that is simply delicious (and very Street Talk/futuristic Silver-ish and dash of Frontline for that sound recipe to perfection). All tossed together it is a fine, fine treat that yields a virtual bounty of impressive rock material in that frozen Scandi harmonic manner. Fresh and forward, embracing the past and pushing themselves to the brink of the future, this is an album that was crafted carefully...and it shows.

All songs are not created equal and thus there is a cream to this crop. Leading the way is the fervor of "Fight Fire With Fire" which fires on several cylinders and is the closest thing to a power/prog track. A little lackluster in areas, though standing out from the crowd for its aggressive stance, it is a logical choice for an opener, although it does little to convey the overall tone of the album, since there is nothing else quite this harsh and pure rockin' on the disc. Edman belts this one, and is also the lead for the awesome Street Talk/Frontline inspired "Mysterious". Pumping, swirling keyboards and those luscious vocals that twist words in that delightful quirky manner make this song just pop. A melodic melter of a chorus tops off this great track.

"Broken Glass" is just AOR bliss, in the steps of the very best of Street Talk (also an Edman fronted vehicle, usually) "you make the simplest things so god damn aggravating". All the strange, futuristic keyboards and synth give flair to the fantasy. One of the true killer songs of 2009, and yes it is that good. "Love Is In Your Eyes" is Edman's ballad entry and he just melts the song on the edges and adds a sensitivity to the chorus that it otherwise might have lacked.

"Angel of My Heart" is saccharine mid tempo romance, lead by the higher pitched Thomas, as well as the piano laden anthemic dreamy feel of "Higher and Higher". Neither are particularly that memorable, especially "Angel" as it earns itself a "meh, just another ballad" response. He also gets to show his chops on that crazy catchy ditty, "Enough of Your Lovin'" as it conveys its lovesickness and the fluidity Silverized synth fancy of "I Still Believe In Love". "Don't Tell Me No Lies" offers big keyboards and a slightly darker, straightforward pursuit by Vikstrom.

"Rolling Stone" voiced by Jansson has a slightly deeper and throatier feel and a bluesy bounce. It's a shame that he was given only two tracks here, his voice is rich and smooth like dark chocolate in a velvety mesmerizing Jorn Lande/David Coverdale way. His other track is the grandiose dark finale, the majestic "Without Chances". A little Masterplan flaunting here, where every moment is emotional rich and excellent.

A strangely beautiful dagger plunged through the soul for "Take a Chance", the wound washed clean and healed for the bright chorus, shining its hopeful light down into the hopeless black. Mats' creepy, indulgent vocals hammer out the atmosphere nicely. His only other track is the dramatic "All Because of You". This one embeds into your memory because of the thick guitars warring with the Conception-like strangeness in the synth sounds. Another polished chorus gives it fragrant flavor.

Thirteen tracks, the majority having killer moments, Crash the System is nothing but an astounding success and a fabulous entry into the world of AOR. The sound stands out for its unusual synthesizer choices and slick choruses. The only songs that seem to lack some punch are the Thomas Vikström vocalized pieces. For some reason his voice lacks the drama and uniqueness that the other three bring to the table respectively. He sounds like a "for hire" generic Scandi singer, but even a handful of his tracks standout. An album that aspires to greatness and actually manages to find it more often than not. Highly recommended.

Written by Alanna
Monday, August 24, 2009
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Alanna: 8/10

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ProfessorShred

Rating: 7/10
A class effort,standout tracks for me were...Take a chance/without chances/Angel of my hea... · Read more ·

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