The hype has been steadily
building for Bury Tomorrow since the release of their debut album, ‘Portraits’,
and the hard work of touring, writing and dropping singles regularly seems to
be paying off, as they are now widely respected as one of the best new metal
bands to arrive on the mainstream music scene in the last few years. ‘The Union
of Crowns’ is the bands sophomore album and arrives several months after Bury
Tomorrow signed with Nuclear Blast Records, which is definitely a big step for
the five-piece.
The record is drenched in a regal
theme, and although it’s unclear whether or not this is a concept album, the
identity of ‘The Union of Crowns’ is clear. ‘Redeemer’ gets the proceedings underway
with distant delayed guitar notes that soon give way for heavy chugged riffs,
tight aggressive drums and gently picked harmonies. The basic exchange of clean
melodic vocals and guttural growls continues the work heard on ‘Portraits’,
although here it feels a little more refined. There’s an abundance of dirty
breakdowns and sing-along moments as the track coasts and flows effortlessly.
‘The Maiden’ keeps the pace, and
it’s another heavy song that’s drenched with the clean (almost pop music
sounding) vocal melodies, which is a strange yet perfect addition to Bury
Tomorrow’s metalcore sound. The low guitars, screams give the track a brutal
edge and the guitar work here is particularly excellent. After another
pitch-perfect chorus, the song slows down, allowing atmospheric guitars tones
to take over and a final heartfelt burst of energy to bring the track to a
close. ‘Lionheart’ was the first heard of ‘The Union of Crowns’ back when it
was released last September. It’s a iconic, passionate and full of genuine
potency. It’s fist pumping, furious and presents some of the catchiest and most
memorable melodies that the band has ever produced. It builds in all the right
places to increase the impact of this finely tuned beast.
‘Message To A King’ takes off at
breakneck speed and it’s clear from early on that this is the heaviest song so
far on the album. There are screams a plenty as the distorted guitars thrash
and the drums pummel. The clean vocals over the breakdown work surprisingly
well, but this is a track that thrives during the fiendishly vicious parts. ‘An
Honourable Reign’ is the latest single and it really pushes the regal theme to
the forefront. Melodic layered guitars, groovy rhythms and plenty of
complicated metal shredding make this track thoroughly enjoyable. Parkway Drive
seem to have influenced at least this song heavily, as it sounds almost like
they’re emulating the style of the Aussie band at times.
For the first time, ‘The Union of
Crowns’ disappoints, as ‘Knight Life’ is a bit too similar in sound/structure
to previous tracks on the record. Unfortunately is just seems to recycle ideas
and feels very much like a filler track. Bury Tomorrow far from dumb down their
sound, but regardless of that, this feel too familiar, and at just track six of
the album, that’s not a good sign. ‘Royal Blood’ is another previously heard
single and it truly brings the thunder, thrusting old school metal forwards
with constant riffing and some awesome falsetto vocals. It’s a balanced song
that shows off the song-writing prowess of the band.
‘Bitemarks’ is full of hardcore
fury, with passionate vocals and relentless guitars, but again feels a bit like
something that has been heard before. It’s still a strong song, but feels weak
in comparison to the likes of the already released singles. ‘Abdication of
Power’ arrives when an interlude is long overdue, but there’s no sign of that
just yet. The track is metal madness, but falls at the wrong side of
forgettable. The songs are beginning to blur together and take the same old
route, and by now ‘The Union of Crowns’ definitely needs a kick up the arse.
‘Kingdom’ has an epic feel and
the guitars create an exciting base for the screamed vocals to tear across.
It’s much more experimental and hits hard, rarely letting up. Finally some
variety arrives with ‘1603’, with a delicate piano intro that introduces a very
different Bury Tomorrow song. It has a slow groove and as it hits its stride,
it feels polished and attentive. It’s varied enough to at least drag the album
back up from the depths, ending again with more piano. ‘Sceptres’ is powerful
and full of rage, the screams feeling immensely heavy and for the first time
the cleans can be heard at the same time as the lows. The simple combination
works wonders for the song, and it really hits heights when a brutal breakdown
arrives. This flows into ‘Vacant Throne’, with incessant low chugs, growls and
riffs. The tight breakdowns work well, but it’s at around this point that the
album begins to feel like a slog. At 14 tracks long, this is a gargantuan album
that is difficult to digest. At a few songs shorter it would have been an
intense thrill ride that leaves the listener gasping for more.
Final track ‘A Curse’ would have
had a much more intense effect on the overall sound of
the album if it was a few tracks earlier, and it’s completely different to
anything else on this record. Clean vocals, classic rock melodies and
echo-laden guitars combines to create something uplifting and hopeful that
builds to an impressive finish.
Bury Tomorrow have delivered
something great with ‘The Union of Crowns’, but it had potential to be a true
classic if only it were streamlined slightly. Despite that, the sky is the
limit for this band and this release will push them further towards that.
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