Hell Is Here

There's nothing wrong with metal. As long as the band doesn't take themselves too seriously, sound like every other Korn clone band, or name their albums Hell Is Here. Laughable titles aside, the Crown doesn't provide any occult gimmicks or hip-hop undertones. This is just a straight-up metal album with short bursts of punk-fueled Motörhead influences and dismal lyrics of evil, death, and all-around grimness. Although high on the cheese factor at times, the Crown is a nice standout in the pre-millennial time when metal has been practically ignored unless it has scratching turntables or oddly placed samples. ~ Mike DaRonco