FEARLESS

I never thought I'd hear new material that sounded like Rush again?especially from that golden 1976?1978 period. Sure, maybe a bootleg here or there, but nothing truly new. Then one day, while streaming music, I stumbled across Crown Lands? and my reaction was so intense, I actually crashed my car. Seriously. Fortunately, I wasn't hurt?just the car, which had to be taken to the garage. It was a stupid accident, but that's how much of a shock it was.

I'm not blaming Crown Lands for the crash?but I couldn't stop listening to the album for months afterward. It's the best tribute to a legendary band I've ever heard. Normally, I'm not a fan of groups that imitate others?take Greta Van Fleet, for example. They try to be Led Zeppelin, and while they have a couple of decent tracks, the rest just doesn't grab me.

But Crown Lands is different. They tap into the most interesting and adventurous era of Rush, and they do it with their own personal touch. It's remarkable?it completely blew me away.

Crown Lands is from Canada, like Rush. And while they're not the first band to echo the Rush sound?Tiles and Enchant come to mind?none have come as close or captured the essence as powerfully as Crown Lands. Fearless blends influences from 2112 to Hemispheres, especially in their epic 18-minute suite "Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II," which feels like their own version of "Cygnus X-1 Book II." What's even more surprising is that Crown Lands is a duo, not a trio like Rush. The rest of the album also has strong material, with a few truly interesting tracks?but that opening suite hits so hard, it's honestly difficult to focus on anything else afterward.

In the end, Fearless is a fantastic record?but I'd love to hear more of Crown Lands carving out their own identity, not just trying to sound like Rush. Don't get me wrong?I really love this album. But I think this band has something special, and I'm excited to hear where they go when they fully become themselves.

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