Crown The Lost - Reverence Dies Within

Crown The Lost
Reverence Dies Within
Independent Release
7.5/10



First thoughts? Way impressed. As a massive Megadeth follower, it’s all too easy to get into the thrashing grooves and technical aptitude of Crown The Lost on this debut run. Opening with a track called “Devoid Of All Praise,” which fuses solid musicianship, mighty riffery and astute melodic interplay, it’s hard to not be reminded of the rhythms of “Rust In Peace.” Credit one David E. Gehlke for the savage onslaught herein, as the axe handler capably incorporates finely textured metal mayhem that’s certain to be appealing to thrash metal lovers who appreciate a fine aural bludgeoning. When vocalist Chris Renaldi storms in with an authoritative presence, the direct comparisons to the ‘dethsters fall by the wayside, with CTL opening up a fine can of suitably thrashing whoop-ass that’s effectually obliterating. On-point production by Eric Klinger (Pro Pain) brings out the best in Crown The Lost. All of the instruments are hot and upfront, with a killer mix bringing every razor-sharp nuance to the fore. Keep a close ear on drummer Jon Rice, who issues popcorn blasts and rapid-fire rolls with the best of them. His performance on “Your Faith Is Not Mine” is top-notch, while his hard-driving sensibilities power cuts like “Without End” effortlessly. Rice knows enough to not overplay, but when he lets loose with an intense barrage of skin-bashing, the weak had better step aside, because this skin-basher has the potential to annihilate everything in his path. Throughout the nine tracks of “Reverence Dies Within,” you’ll marvel at the solid instrumentation, including the exceptional rhythm attacks of Gehlke, who definitely has a sensibility for creating potently ear-damaging axework. When coupled with the vicious shredding of Joe Bonaddio, you’ll no doubt be blown away by the guitar tandem’s ability to flatten all within their path. An excellent introduction to one of metal’s rising thrash squads, “Reverence Dies Within” delivers exactly what’s expected with an overwhelming vengeance.
© 2005 ERIN FOX – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED