IN CRESCENDO

This is my first foray in Italy's Kingcrow and their music. A fellow writer at powerofmetal.dk was adamant that I should hear this album, and I'm glad I took the plunge. First of all, I'm not sure how prog metal these guys are anymore. They have definitely mellowed from my slight earlier experiences with them, but that is not a bad thing at all.

Kingcrow has lately been called a "Riverside clone". I honestly don't get this because they sound nothing like Riverside in any way. They utilize a great balance of heavy and soft, light and dark. So, we hear some great soulful guitars solos, but we also get some intense riffing at times. We get ballads, but we also get rockers. Like I said, it's a nice balance. I can, however, see why another reviewer mentioned that Kingcrow seems confused as to whom they are. I agree slightly, as you can feel their urge to jam. But they don't. This is called "restraint", and it's a very good thing. This album is all the better for it.

An example of this would be the track "Morning Rain", a very mellow track that provides us with an "epic" ending that never is anything but beautiful. The title track, too, is filled with piano accompaniment and beautifully performed melodic guitar work. Indeed, melody is a driving force on the whole album, from the stunning keyboard passages to the harmonizing vocals. This can especially be seen in the very appealing choruses and vocal passages that do seem very inspired. Bands are more and more coming to realize how important melody really is in relation to highly memorable albums. Kingcrow has done a fabulous job of capturing melody, harmony, and a few riffing jams for good measure. They don't do it flawlessly, but they certainly do an admirable job to the tune of a 4 star rating. I'm looking forward to seeing this band evolve further.