KINGCROW

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.

Perfect or Perfectly Imperfect?

A remarkably consistent, modern prog rock album full of thick walls of interesting sound, fantastic polyrhythms, excellent musicianship, great vocals and lyrics, all wrapped in beautiful melancholy and themes of determination (Persistence?).

I delayed writing a review of this album despite it being the album I listened to the most in 2022. That's because it deserves that I take my time and pay back a band for this amazing album that I have enjoyed so much. I first listened to this album in 2020 or 2021. I found it summarized on some online, top prog albums blog. I liked it at the time, but I only listened to it two or three times and forgot about it. I played it again last year and it caught. Then I listened to it again and it caught more..and again, and again. In fact, after dozens of complete listens, it continues to grow on me. That, along with the fact that I listen to it in its entirety 95% of the times is a mark of a very strong album.

This album is certainly pretty deep into the modern rock end of the prog spectrum, but I find it very palatable and interesting. Diego Marchesi delivers a powerful and interesting vocal performance which became one of my favourite features of the album, along with the many choruses and phrases that are cerebral glue.

The album opens with "Drenched", which begins with atmospheric keys that lay the groundwork for the album to come, followed by heavy guitars playing Rush-like octave intervals, with smooth keys in the background and single piano notes leading the melody. Note the drums, played by Thundra Cafolla, that are quite front in the mix throughout the album and the complex but musically fitting beats and polyrhythms. (Sometimes I find myself focusing a lot on drumwork in this album). Stop. Singing starts. I think to myself, "I don't know if this band/album is my thing". It's a little too pretty and poppy. Trust me. Hold on. Persist. It picks up. Everything builds. Strong, catchy, powerful, chorus starts and it's good! Second verse starts and it's not as cheesy this time. Back to a variation of the opening jam. Sweet! Repeat of opening keys then explosion back into the chorus. So smooth. Strong closing jam. The lyrics seem to be describing breaking out of a slumber and a sort of existential angst, waking to the present and being called.

Next up is "Closer". Again, keys set the opening atmosphere. Pedal-tone guitar kicks in and then some clean guitar arpeggios. Then smooth vocals. Holy, sweet, polyrhythms batman! Then we are hit with a second, very catchy chorus that explodes out of the preceding section. Second verses change up the instrumentals from the first run with a repeating bass line and more typical drums over the background keys. New, beautiful layers build into the mix with strumming, 2-3 string guitar chords and faded background vocals. Pause into a short, few bar interlude to contrast the blast back into the chorus. Then we get into an amazing, closing jam, reminiscent of the best of the band Wheel. Following that is more of the nice strumming guitar with electric guitar arpeggios and a soft repeat of the chorus. Beautiful. Lyrical themes are of reaching out and pushing ourselves into new, unchartered territory, expanding our limits further and further, bringing us closer and closer to ?

"Everything Goes" opens with an atmospheric introduction that builds into multi layers of overlapping vocal verses and additional instruments. Interesting lyrics paint a melancholic picture of being beaten down, defeated, but advising hope: "If you have a raging fever, you're about to turn the page". Song picks up, repeating the layered vocals before moving into a closing jam with a guitar theme common from the opening tracks. "Folding Paper Dreams" opens with wonderful, jazzy drums (I am going to stop mentioning polyrhythms, you get the idea), interesting piano and nice vocals over the persistent, atmospheric keys. Very cool and progressive changes to the developing themes pass by over lyrics of an offer to be there by our side and support us through hardship. 1:35 explodes into a wall of guitar and great vocals and yet another catchy chorus and lyrics: "Maybe I'm just in your mind, my way to be with you. Maybe the light of the day, my way to warm your skin. Maybe it's just in my mind, my way to be with you. Maybe the light of the day, makes me feel I'm with you. Folding paper dreams. What is left of us, still resounds" The song picks up. "A broken mechanism. We walk a different path on the same road". Then we repeat and close with a beautiful, clean guitar, solo.

Time for the title song, "The Persistence". This song is excellent and uses themes of sailing through hard seas as an analogy for perseverance through life or whatever obstacle. Great, catchy chorus: "Plant your foot down. Brace yourself for the waves". War drums then set the beat over a complex, dark, wall of sound and vocals leading into a more optimistic verse of persistence, asking for someone to stick (sail) with them until they hit the land. Wonderful, mid song jams kick in, transitioning into new coolness at 4:02 when the tribal drums return, washed with huge, sweeping, Wah-Wah guitars and megaphone vocals. The last 70 seconds is a wonderful fade-out to just the background keys. So nice.

"Every Broken Piece of Me" is an extremely melancholic piece as the title implies. It lulls us in before once again exploding into a catchy chorus. One of my favourite parts of the album starts at 3:40 when pulsing, dark keys kick in over a light beat and then a clean guitar riff before a Porcupine Tree-like heavy jam breaks out. Perfection. "Devils Got a Picture" is a nice track, again consistent with the overall album's themes, both musically and lyrically: "Learn to rise. Perceive the larger plan. And for the price you pay I'd call it fair (don't think you're fooling someone else)". Another example of tastefully applying varying tempos, volumes and depth of sounds follows as things quiet up a bit before kicking in again and then soft again for the close-out chorus with "The only rule is go ahead" added, from an earlier verse, enforcing the album theme.

"Night's Descending" is a beauty, featuring a tremendous, guest vocal performance from Daniel Gildenlaw (Pain of Salvation, Flower Kings). Does this guy ever have a voice. Very expressive and passionate. The song plays out over a nice keys and overlaying guitar pattern before the bass and drums kick in with a simple backline. The chorus explodes at 2:10: "Rise anew, before the sun comes". Daniel then picks it up another notch with incredible, R&B style before a wonderfully tasteful guitar solo and a return to the chorus.

"Father" opens softly, but with some building, atmospheric keys in the back and a sense of building tension and the need to release. Here it is. Heavy guitars kick in, but just for a teaser. After another quieter part, it picks up again and goes different, interesting places. Themes of wondering how one measures up in the eyes of a deceased father and despair and perhaps transition, leaving behind what is, what and where one is, etc.

"Perfectly Imperfect" is the closer that this album deserves. Melancholic once again, but with themes of optimism and reconciliation in a relationship. What an amazing, powerful chorus to close this masterpiece of an album out, "Time to go. Two perfectly imperfect, as we are. Time to take this chance. Who but you? Who but me? Who can do it now? Who can do so?".

Wow, I just love this album. It is so consistently good, song to song, with really good continuity of sounds and themes without sounding repetitious. It might not work for a lot of prog heads because it may be too modern rock, but I think many will love it, if they give it a few spins. This is an interesting band and it's cool to listen to their albums chronologically and see how they progressively developed towards the sounds on this album. I think that this Italian band really hit the winning formula with this album, and I hope they put out something this good again. Perfect or perfectly imperfect? I say perfect. Oh, and I love the cover. It's perfect too!

Listening diary 16th September, 2021: Kingcrow - The Persistence (progressive metal, 2018)

This could quite easily be my favourite album from Kingcrow, even though it doesn't deviate at all from the formula they've been playing for a few albums now. I always seem to get these guys entangled with Polish group Votum in my head - they have the same mix of prog, goth and metal that owes a lot to Riverside and Tool, to the point where I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't a Votum album. Kingcrow have always been the weaker of the two to me, but given Votum's mediocre latest effort, this signals a bit of a change of the guard. For the most part, this is exciting, energetic, melodic, and avoids the Riverside clone trappings of some of their previous albums.

7.6 (4th listen)

Part of my listening diary from my facebook music blog - www.facebook.com/TheExoskeletalJunction

You may call it hip, trendy, state-of-the-art maybe. We do have a lot of bands underway currently which are blending prog metal, alternative and heavy art rock with differing intention. Particularly hailing from Italy. Some of them have recorded mediocre albums, some have failed more or less going this way, KINGCROW though convince me with their new rounded production. I mean, they actually are able to trigger great delight. More than ever it depends on the song writing skills of course. Guitarist Diego Cafolla turns out to be the main composer, he wrote about 3 hours of music in total, finally ending up into 'The Persistence'. Hereby the approach was 'to step a bit outside of our comfort zone and refresh our sound'.

Well, I'm sure this is not meant to assign the past albums with any negative hint. In some way this is just another comfort zone I would say. What exactly convinces? They are providing melodic heavy rock songs which are appealing. Everybody and everything is running on the right track here. The production is simply flawless. And, no filler, they are keeping up the high level from the first to the last minute. Be it the smart ballad Night's Descending or the wonderful masterpieces Closer and Father. That sums it all up to something extraordinary. Great album featuring hints of Porcupine Tree, Soul Doubt, Opeth, Pain Of Salvation.

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.

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 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.

Kingscrow started as long ago as 1996, and this is their fifth studio album although it is the first one I've come across. They are an Italian band and looking at who they have been playing with, and the festivals they have been part of, it seems that they have historically been coming at their music from a metallic perspective. If that is indeed the case, then they have changed tack quite a way and are now much more in the Porcupine Tree/Riverside area with a more atmospheric feel to the music. In fact, they use emotion so much that it can almost be thought of as an instrument in its' own right and it particularly works well with the more acoustic elements. But, I do believe that here is a band that musically is in a state of flux and they aren't quite sure what they want to be, which can then be confusing for the listener as well.

There are some songs where they approach it much more from a prog metal perspective, but then mute the guitars and restrict their impact. It is almost as if at times that they want to be Opeth, but are afraid to let loose and really go for it, which in itself is at odds with the more atmospheric and acoustic pieces which almost sound as if they don't belong on the same album. Their last, 'Phlegethon', seemed to gain almost universal praise but I'm not sure that the same will happen this time. If there were more songs like "The Drowning Line", where there is the impression of a prog metal band trying to get out, then this album would be a much stronger proposition. But, they need to decide what musical approach they are going to follow as although there are some fine songs and performances on here it is too disjointed to be get anything more than 3*'s.

I had never heard of this band before seeing this album listed in the new releases column, but it had an interesting looking cover so I dug in. On the strength of Mellotron Storm's comments about the previous release, "Phlegethon" and the generally high marks this release was receiving, I decided to take a chance.

My first impressions were that it didn't really seem to be that 'metal' sounding to me. While the players all seem quite competent, the music is not generally of a highly technical nature. It sounds more like "Deadwing" era Porcupine Tree, than say Dream Theater or Symphony X. The album is riddled with great riffs and hooks and is very fun to listen to. I enjoy the generous use of the acoustic guitar both as texture and lead instrument. The keyboards are used more to create mood and fill out the sound than as a solo instrument, and are tastefully done and utilize quality tones. A solid rhythm section provides a nice bottom end making the sound nice and fat and hard rocking during the up tempo numbers. The vocalist is not always quite in tune and English is clearly not his first language, but this is not really a distraction as he is competent enough and has a pleasant tone. My version does not include the lyrics, so I am not always sure what is being said, but what I can make out suggests that this is not necessarily their forte.

I struggle a little with whether this is 3 or 4 stars, as I do not feel that it is essential, but it is quite an enjoyable listen, and I find myself drifting back to it often. Probably 3.5 rounded up.

KINGCROW are from Italy and this is their most recent album called "Phlegethon". It's a concept album about a guy who is quite dysfunctional and we follow him through the different experiences he goes through in his life that in turn change his personality. They have a new singer and bass player for this one. I must admit i've been slow to really embrace this one and I think it's because the concept takes priority much of the time, but having said that I just am so impressed with most of this album. I was wavering between 3.5 and 4 stars but decided on the latter because this is just too good, and I can tell it's still growing on me. But no this hasn't blown me away or anything like that.

"The Slide" opens with the sounds of waves as synths come in and create atmosphere. Piano after a minute followed by a full sound. Vocals too. Love the drums to end it. "Timeshift Box" is a really good instrumental with some great sounding guitar. One of my favs. "Islands" is another keeper. Laid back guitar and vocals early but then it all gets fuller and I like the bass here a lot. It ends like it began. "The Great Silence" has some Gilmour- like guitar as it builds. It turns heavy. "Lullaby For An Innocent" has more laid back guitar as reserved vocals and piano join in.The harmonies remind me of FLOYD.The guitar soars at times. Check it out 3 1/2 minutes in. "Evasion" has some deep bass and prominant drumming and other sounds. Synths roll in then heavy guitar. Oh yeah ! Vocals sound processed. An pretty good track. "Numb" is relaxed with a beat and synths as reserved vocals join in. It kicks in before 2 1/2 minutes with guitar. Slow riffs come in as it settles back.

"Washing Out Memories" is mellow with vocals until it kicks in after 2 minutes thankfully. "A New Life" is bright sounding to start.The guitar proceeds to rip it up 1 1/2 minutes in (nice) then it settles back. "Lovocaine" is dark as the guitar comes in. It reminds me of TOOL here.Vocals join in.The song continues to pick up then settle back.This is one of the better tracks. "Fading Out Pt.III" also sounds really good. Intricate guitar to start but it turns heavy quickly and vocals join in. I like the vocal melodies and rough sounding vocals on this one. Haunting atmosphere after 5 1/2 minutes.Great tune. "Phlegethon" is the longest track at close to 10 minutes in length. Kicking ass to start then it settles down just before a minute.Vocals are almost spoken when they arrive and it's dark and atmospheric. Guitar and vocals become more passionate.The guitar is grinding away after 6 1/2 minutes.Waves and piano 8 minutes in as it calms right down.Waves only ends it just like the album began.

If I take the time to get into the concept I know this will be a solid 4 stars. I'm just not there yet. A low 4 stars for now.