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Wake Up Call

    
       
       
       
     
             
Kingcrown are a power metal band from France, founded by brothers David and Joe Amore originally as Öblivïon, releasing one album, 'Resilience' in 2018, before changing their name to Kingcrown and releasing 'A Perfect World' in 2019. The bands sophomore album 'Wake Up Call' was released in 2022...    
             
...featuring a line-up of David Amore (drums), Joe Amore (vocals), former Headless Crown guitarist Ced Legger, and Galderia band mates Sebastien Chabot (bass) and Bob Saliba (guitar). The new album powers through eleven songs in just forty four minutes! That's forty four minutes of fast paced and infectious melodic power metal - with the title song 'Wake Up Call' bringing the album to life in a blaze of classic sounding European power metal pomp. Fast paced and searing, 'Wake Up Call' (the song) is highly infectious and immediately likeable. 'The End Of The World' picks up both the pace and the heaviness and gallops forward with purpose and intent. Much more head bang-able than the opening song, 'The End Of The World' will have listeners moving their heads back and forth with glee. 'Cause this is what good power metal should sound like! With the album now in full swing, Kingcrown power on with the just as heavy 'Story Of Mankind'. Pounding and pulsating, 'Story Of Mankind' features a galloping "foot on the monitor" traditional metal feel coupled with its (German legends) Running Wild-esque power metal roots.    
             
With its mellower intro, 'Lost Foreigner' sounds like we're heading into ballad territory - only to be proven wrong at the minute mark, as boom, bang and thud, heavy metal comes pouring outta the speakers. Anthemic styled heavy metal too - Kingcrown adopting the mid tempo majestic swagger of bands such as Manowar, Powerwolf, and Sabaton. With eleven songs packed into forty five minutes, 'Wake Up Call' (the album) fairly flies by. Indeed, only three out of the eleven songs breach the four minute mark! One of those four minute plus songs 'One With Earth', is everything you'd ever want from a melodic power metal song. The infectious and highly sing a long-able nature is top notch, Kingcrown delivering one (of the many) highlights on the album. 'To The Sky And Back' picks up the pace and roars on with a pumped up AC/DC style boogie - yes, boogie! Just take a closer listen to the opening riffage - hear what I mean! 'To The Sky And Back Again' is rampant, head bang-able, and ever so catchy - the album becoming a non-stop furore of power metal. 'The Awakening' maintains the furore, bringing a heavier feel to the surface yet losing nothing of the albums overall infectious and highly melodic nature. For me, 'Wake Up Call' (the album) is turning out to be one of the biggest surprise releases of the year so far!    
             
A surprise release mostly because of the feel good nature emanating from every song on offer. It's incredible - along with the pace and power and, of course, the high melodious intent. Which gets even higher with 'A New Dawn', the fastest song heard so far, and a red hot scorcher of a power metal romp. The galloping rhythm hints at traditional metal, the screaming guitars at power metal, and the all round feel is of a happy mood inducing song to sing along to. Fucking great stuff from a (relatively) young band. With its keyboard intro, 'Gone So Long' definitely feels like an impending ballad, so lighters at the ready! And lift them high in the air, for ballad territory is where we are right now. Ballads are kinda customary these days for a power metal album, and Kingcrown do not disappoint with 'Gone So Long'. 'City Lights' returns the foot tapping, head nodding rhythm of earlier - along with the majestic melodic power metal sound with which Kingcrown have made their own. As I said earlier, 'Wake Up Call' (the album) has surprised me, the album a relentless romp of catchy power come heavy metal. The final song 'Fire Burns Again' is another anthemic metal monster - big riffing and bombastic, and definitely good enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the giants of anthemic metal such as (the aforementioned) Manowar, Powerwolf, and Sabaton.    
             
Overall, a melodic power metal romp of a highly infectious and catchy nature, Kingcrown have delivered one of the surprise releases of the year.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
Review is also featured at Metal-Roos    
             
             
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