EIDOS

Is this band on sonic enhancing drugs? Demand the members be tested immediately!

This album by Kingcrow is the audio equivalent of that ad -- you know the one, in the back of the early comic books for Charles Atlas: skinny guy gets sand in his face by bully; work outs to beat up the said bully; and finally gets the girl in the proper red-blooded, male testosterone fashion. Skinny no more, he's the hero of the beach! Thanks Charles Atlas!

It feels like the Kingcrow has sonically shot up between the toes. They have achieved a masterful success story with this current release, Eidos. This album is in tip-top form, with six-pack abs and totally eclipsing their really good 2013 release In Cresendo. But, this is next level, baby! If you are into Leprous, Karnivool, Breaking Orbit, or Skyharbor, just give it a few moments, please. Are you bummed Porcupine Tree are no longer putting out new material? Dry your tears and take your thumb out of your mouth, this is the perfect band to fill in that empty, cavernous space deep inside your soul. There's a perfect blend of crunch and serene moments. There's aggression without growly vocals, melodic hooks and rhythmic riffage that scream for mass appeal, and a signature sound that indicates this band has come of age. Without a doubt, after re-examining Kingcrow's past catalog, it can be said with utmost confidence that this album will probably go down as their career defining album, thus far. If you check out only one of their albums, this is it.

You will not be disappointed by the fuzzy, crunchy guitar tones and the proper blend of distortion to acoustic guitar. The hooks are there, the vocals are upfront and the lyrics contain hardly a pinch of fat. The word smithing is competitive fighting weight. The recording is stellar on all fronts. The drums alone will force your warm-down commute home to detour. You'll bolt to the nearest car audio store for an installation of an audio system worthy of the TV show, Pimp My Ride. Check out the songs The Moth, Adrift and Slow Down if nothing else. (I'm too old to be head banging to this addictive groove! My neck meat is going to need some tender loving massaging tomorrow.) Here we have a fully-realized Kingcrow, ferocious and eager to come out of the corner swinging. It's a sweaty, pumped, and well-conditioned winner.

Wishful Concert pairing: Leprous or Breaking Orbit

This is the latest offering from Italy's KINGCROW. I have their 2010 release called "Phlegethon" and we get the same lineup except for the bass player. This has a little bit of a different flavour than "Phlegethon" as this band has tried to change it up some. I have to say that after one listen I was ready to write it off which would have been a mistake on my part. Each listen since has made me like this recording more.

"The Moth" starts off so good with that guitar then it builds. I'm not big on the strummed guitar with vocals that follow though. The chorus is quite heavy. The tempo picks up as they start to let loose. Themes are repeated. I'm also not into the vocal arrangements late that end it. "Adrift" is a top three track for me. A nice, fairly heavy sound early on as the vocals join in. Great instrumental sound 3 1/2 minutes in to almost 5 minutes. A feel good vibe with vocals follows. "Slow Down" starts well but then we get these almost robotic sounding vocals that i'm not that into. It then turns heavy. There's something familiar about this song at times. "Open Sky" is my favourite. I like the relaxed mood and I find it uplifting at times. "Fading Out(Part IV)" is catchy with a lot of strummed guitar and vocals.

"The Deeper Divide" is ballad-like to start with vocals. It starts picking up 2 minutes in as the contrasts continue. Nice guitar solo 4 minutes in. "On The Barren Ground" is a pretty good rocker. Love the atmospheric section before 4 1/2 minutes to the end. "At The Same Place" features acoustic guitar and more as the relaxed vocals join in. It does turn heavy but then we get a calm after 4 minutes but it does pickup again. Good song! "Eidos" is the final top three. A heavy intro is replaced before a minute by a mellow soundscape reserved vocals. It then turns fuller. I just really like how this sounds and I like the contrasts. Great sound after 4 1/2 minutes and a minute later as well. "If Only" opens with acoustic guitar ad atmosphere as soft vocals join in. It eventually starts to turn fuller then a calm arrives before 4 1/2 minutes with relaxed guitar. Killer bass a minute later as it builds.

Man this one grew quickly on me and i'm really surprised to be giving this 4 stars. I had a similar experience with "Phlegethon" and in fact had a listen to it yesterday just to compare them. Prog-Metal fans should really check these Italians out.

Kingcrow plays modern progressive metal--comparisons to Leprous and Porcupine Tree are accurate. The music on Eidos is dark, the vocals generally clean, bass fairly prominent, the lyrics mostly depressing, the music varied just enough to keep things interesting. At times they sound more heavy prog than prog metal, with some influences of symphonic prog evident. The vocals are fine, although the modern vocal style is a bit generic.

"Open Sky" is a highlight here, especially the moody instrumental section. In fact, I find myself liking the short instrumental sections throughout this album more than the vocal sections--they tend to have an infectious sound and at times remind me of Fates Warning. The first few seconds of "At The Same Pace" sound almost exactly like the first few seconds of Fish's "Vigil," although that's the entire extent of the neo-prog influence on this album.

3.5 stars. Fans of this type of modern progressive metal--Leprous and such--will likely enjoy this album immensely, and will likely rank this higher.