Svart Crown - Profane (2013)

Svart Crown has been hovering on the second tier of French extremity for a few years now; a band that is somewhat distinctly put together, but just not as unusual or exhilarating as some of their countrymen like Blut Aus Nord, Deathspell Omega or Peste Noire who have developed these cult followings and, as one might expect, assorted detractors. I've not been totaally impressed by this group's marriage of black and death metal yet, but certainly they're putting enough of an individualistic spin on it that they're past output has been successful. With Profane, their third album, they're not exactly reinventing themselves or pushing themselves 'forward' so much as they're just issuing another solid, dynamic release. But hey, the cover art...you won't be forgetting that any time soon, or at least I won't.

Structurally, think Morbid Angel via Gateways to Annihilation, Domination or Blessed Are the Sick if they meddled with even more atonal textures and added a tint of psycho black metal circa their peers. The disharmonic tremolo guitar passages are dense and twist about in the imagination, but they also incorporate a lot of simpler, lurching chugging grooves for contrast (which they'll also imbue with some discordant picking of their own). The bass curves along with a fluid, embryonic warmth that really works along the post-sludge, post-hardcore atmosphere often created through the riff progressions, and the vocals vary between deeper gutturals, sustained rasps and even a few ritualistic, deep cleans when appropriate. A few samples are tossed in here or there, in particular the one in "In Utero: A Place of Hatred and Threat" with the girl screaming is very effective, unnerving and fun; I had to spin around in my listening booth and make sure there wasn't some exorcism/molestation going on nearby. The drums might not have a great deal of personality, but they provide a taut and competent landscape of blasts, grooves, fills, even some tempered tribalism ("Venomous Ritual").

Often, there are riff progressions here which are downright amazing, but I never felt there was a high enough ratio to break the bank. Specifically, the final sequence of tracks here from the brooding and bass driven "Venomous Ritual" through "Ascetic Purification" (which has this incredible dissonant bridge breakdown) and "Revelatio: Down Here Stillborn" felt the strongest, but the earlier material is consistent and invigoration within itself. Svart Crown write with a good deal of dynamic range, but often the transitions between the different tempos don't ultimately climax in resonant passages that provide the necessary payoff; and thus Profane becomes just another 'good' album, with a decent array of hooks and clear, churning production. Ultimately, though, they've got potential appeal for a wide range of listeners, from Deathspell Omega, Glorior Belli & Blut Aus Nord to Ulcerate, Morbid Angel, Nader Sadek, Portal & Mitochondrion. I'm not sure this will be their 'breakthrough' effort, but they've certainly got the weapons to impress.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.svartcrown.net/

Svart Crown - Witnessing the Fall (2010)

Svart Crown is a French act attempting to bind together the harrowing force of brutal death metal ala Morbid Angel, Vader, Behemoth and Deicide, with the bleeding convulsions of black metal tremolo picking. They succeed in this, not because it's unnaturally difficult, but due to their rare ability to layer a number of twisted, unexpected melodies into their rhythms that add a pulsing, organic gravitas to their misanthropic demesne. The result is an effort that not only weighs off sequences of haunting atmosphere and abrupt aural incisions on a cautious scale, but actually manifests in memorable, spike-like writing that wedges itself directly between the two halves of your soft and sloppy mind.

I can't say I love the vocals of JB Le Bail, which are your pretty standard accumulation of David Vincent and similar influences, but they have never really failed at propelling this style, nor do they here. Blunt, caustic and to the point, while his guitars collide with those of Klem Flandrois to create acrobatic, acerbic strains of hostile melodies in "Dogs of Gods", "An Eternal Descent", and "Colosseum". The drums are manic, blasting appropriately where necessarily, a process that could become dull if the guitars weren't always diverting your ears; but nonetheless the product of an boundlessly energetic superhuman. Often the band will slow for some rolling, chugged material as in "Into a Demential Sea" or "Strength Higher Than Justice", but the fact that they keep their crisp, bright, punchy and organic guitar tones here goes a long way to evade the sense of plodding, pedestrian breakdowns that many similar bands suffer from.

Witnessing the Fall is a step up over the band's debut Ages of Decay, but there is still some room for growth. The vocals could certainly be more versatile than this to better effect. Also, the transitions are competent but they rarely offer much of an impact, merely cycling from one adequate sequence to the next, but often incapable of setting up one another for a seething storm of menace. That said, if you break down the components, most of the riffs on the album are quality, and I must reiterate that I love the sincerity of the mix, which sounds like you could be sitting in the rehearsal room with the band, but clean and clear. If you're a massive fan of the Morbid Angel albums Altars of Madness, Domination and Formulas Fatal to the Flesh, and seeking similar sounds, then this is certainly worth checking out, but I did get the tugging impression that true brilliance is still eluding these French hopefuls.

Verdict: Win [7.25/10]

http://www.myspace.com/svartcrown