out July 3: Northern Crown

"Observing" is a song from the doom crew Northern Crown's July 3rd, 2020 album In a Pallid Shadow. The official propaganda from the information overlord powers that be is telling us that "doom, prog, and rock n’ roll" is the trademark that corresponds to the work of this U.S. syndicate. We are not going to argue with the overlords on this one! Listen with your rocking ears and get to know what Northern Crown is all about, especially if you prefer the traditional forms of doom. Below is the official propaganda received from the extraterrestrial hype machine.

In the cracks between the genres of Doom, Prog, and Rock n’ Roll, NORTHERN CROWN find a unique fit.

In A Pallid Shadow is everything that a real adventure should be made of - an epic struggle between good and evil, a terrifying personal dilemma, a brief moment of unexpected beauty, and a few good stories. Confident in their new rhythmic stride with groove-heavy drummer Dan Konopka of OK GO, the band melds guitarist Zach Randall’s signature writing, vocalist Frank Serafine’s distinct classic vocal grit and dynamics, and Leona Hayward’s penchant for assertive and beefy bass lines. One listen through the leading track, ‘Leprosarium,’ and you may not catch the buried reference to John Coltrane’s ‘Giant Steps,’ but you will feel the ten tons of metal slamming you in the face.

As with the band’s self-titled previous album, the music is placed in the best artistic light possible thanks to the evocative artwork of Travis Smith. The final mastering of the album was handled by the notorious and balanced hands of Dan Swanö (Unisound Studio/SE.) Soloist Evan Hensley (Nightfall/Dark Hound/Karmic Link) rains fire down on the songs with a broader contribution than earlier albums, a de facto member of the band.

BIO: The band’s journey to their third full-length album has been deliberately long, and the music better for it. Their first EP, In The Hands of The Betrayer, found the band knocking on the door to the halls of classic heavy metal and drew comparisons to Candlemass, Black Sabbath, and My Dying Bride. In pursuit of a sound with more teeth to it, their first album, The Others, saw them summon a prog spirit as they tested their footing on the fringes of genres. All the while, the collective personal experiences of the bandmates provided ample ammunition for a barn-burning self-titled second album to come.

Northern Crown was a hydra of differing lyrical subjects - strength in opposition, exploited vulnerability, and fictional storytelling - unified under the flag of Doom n’ Roll with extra dirty rock organ to boot. With artwork by Travis Smith and mastering by Tony Lindgren (Fascination Street Studio/SE), Northern Crown made the statement that they’d always wanted to make.

In a Pallid Shadow by Northern Crown