My introduction to Crowned In Earth had been the very promising “A Vortex Of Earthly Chimes” of 2012. That release was a foray into an atmospheric brand of Stoner Doom, so you can imagine my surprise when “Metempsychosis” turned out to be decidedly more Prog Rock in style.
Some emotions and moods seem to be taken directly off Pink Floyd and comparisons with The Flower Kings might not be too far off the mark either. Crowned In Earth give the music their own imprint through a series of Jazz-tinged melodies using instruments/sounds such as accordion, piano and saxophone.
An atmospheric passage here, a piano solo there, some interludes linking atmospheric parts to more uptempo rhythms….”Metempsychosis” has no shortage of well-executed moments. Sadly, most of the time the songs sound messy and the musicianship inconsistent. To the point that I’d be reluctant to keep going back to this album for long.
The Doomy roots of Crowned In Earth do make themselves evident, particularly in ‘Morning Light’. Again, this adds a distinct touch to the music, one which some listeners might find appealing.
Another thing I cannot fail to mention is the poor quality of the vocals. There aren’t many lyrics in the album but it’s clear that singing isn’t one of the many talents of band mastermind and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Lawry.
‘Unrealised potential’ is how I’d describe this one in a phrase.
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