adg211288 For my money Italy's Frozen Crown number among the best power metal bands to have made their debut within the last ten years. They do not necessarily break the mould but then, it's power metal. There are certain expectations that need to be delivered if a band is going to be considered a really good power metal act: speed, melody, great vocals and infectious songs. Frozen Crown has that in spades and this time with their fifth studio album War Hearts (2024) they're following suit with the modern Iron Maiden line-up and coming at us with a triple guitarist attack.

That probably means more in the live environment than it does in the studio, but the addition of Alessia Lanzone is another skilled and talented musician in the Frozen Crown family and we've already seen the trio in action in the music videos made to promote War Hearts (Steel and Gold was the first released song, followed by the title track) and that's enough to show that a three guitarist line-up is not overkill.

The rest of the band's line-up remains unchanged from that of Call of the North (2023): Giada "Jade" Etro (vocals), Federico Mondelli (guitars, vocals), Fabiola Bellomo (guitars), Francesco Zof (bass) and Niso Tomasini (drums).

Opening with the two singles, Frozen Crown more or less sticks to a formula aside from a shorter penultimate instrumental leading into the album's sole longer and closing track Ice Dragon. I cannot say that the ten track album throws much in the way of surprise if one is familiar with Frozen Crown already, or even just with power metal music. In the past the band has experimented a bit with using some extremer elements but those are absent on War Hearts and in fact secondary vocalist Federico Mondelli doesn't really sing all that much at all but that's perhaps hardly surprising when they have Giada Etro as their main vocalist. Frozen Crown's musicianship is superb, but for me Etro is the band's biggest draw. It is the singer that can make or break a power metal band. You can hear that Frozen Crown knows how good of a singer they have in Giada.

Frozen Crown's discography so far has been a solidly consistent one and War Hearts is not going to be the album that bucks that trend, which is actually a double-edged sword because while it's another excellent power metal album featuring all those hallmark elements I mentioned earlier, I also can't fairly say that it's the Frozen Crown album that really takes their music to the next level – although perhaps the most outright disappointing thing about it is that it's their shortest studio album to date, being over ten minutes shorter than Call of the North despite having the same amount of tracks. But I meant what I said about them being among the best modern power metal bands – they are. They just haven't, for me at least, yet released an album I'd feel comfortable giving a 5 star score to.

But a fifth 4.5 in a row is hardly anything to be sniffed at. And they're going to get there to the top tier sooner rather than later, I think. They have the musicianship, the excellent singer and they have the power metal sound down to a tee. If anything what's held me back with how I score their work is that they may actually be too polished even for a power metal band. It's taken the edge off the raw energy that this kind of music is capable of having. It's the difference, I think, between a power metal album that power metal fans like me are going to lap up and a power metal album that can make those less enthusiastic about the genre pay attention.

DippoMagoo Some bands like to waste very little time in between albums, looking to pump out some great new music at a quick rate, to please existing fans and possibly to gain some more. One such band is Italian power metal band Frozen Crown, who introduced themselves to the world in February of 2018, with their excellent debut, The Fallen King. It was a very fun and exciting album, with a mix of speedy, melodic power metal and some strong melodic death metal elements on a few tracks. Barely over a year later, the band is back with their second full-length release, Crowned in Frost, which sees the band focusing their sound a bit while continuing to deliver more of the same great music as on their debut.

The Fallen King was an impressive debut, both for how great it sounded for a new band, as well as for how strong the songwriting was, with a nice variety of tracks that hinted at a few possible directions the band could take. Crowned in Frost has a similar sound, with the same style of fast-paced, melodic power metal, led by the strong voice of frontwoman Giada “Jade” Etro, as well as the excellent guitar and keyboard playing of Federico Mondelli, who also serves as a second vocalist and the main songwriter. Fans of the debut should know what to expect from the performances, as the keys are as dominant as ever, while occasionally leaning towards more of a symphonic feel, the guitars are very melodic, with some slight Iron Maiden influence, while occasionally getting a bit heavier, and Jade’s lead vocals are as deep and powerful as ever, while occasionally getting a bit lighter and higher pitched. The production quality is about the same as the debut, with the mixing being a bit on the loud and thin side, though everything sounds pretty good, overall.

The biggest difference between the two albums comes from the songwriting. Where the debut had quite a bit of variety, Crowned in Frost feels like a more focused album, where the majority of songs all follow a specific direction, with the only real exceptions being the intro and interlude tracks. The tracklisting is a tad misleading, in that it makes it seem like the album should have one more song than the debut, but in truth, it actually has one less. This is because, out of the 11 tracks, one is an intro and two are instrumental interludes. The intro track is very nice, with a bit of that Maiden-like guitar work setting things up nicely for the true opener, “Neverending”, but the two interludes are a bit less exciting, with “The Wolf and the Maiden” in particular lasting for over three minutes, yet it’s an entirely soft, ambient track, mostly consisting of light keys (as well as a wolf howl, right at the start.) The track is okay, but it feels drawn out, and because it and the other (similar, but much shorter) interlude, “Enthroned”, are the only real changes of pace on the album, as opposed to the wide variety of tracks found on the debut, it ends up feeling a bit disappointing.

With that one negative out of the way, though, all full-length songs here are excellent, starting with opener and lead single “Neverending”, which has a fast-paced, extended instrumental opening, before Jade takes over during the verses, and the song flies along at a rapid pace, leading to a very melodic and catchy choruses, with some excellent vocal hooks. It’s a very speedy, very fun track, with an excellent guitar solo in the second half, and it’s a great indication of the direction the band has taken on this album. Next are two similar tracks, “In the Dark” and “Battles in the Night”, with the former alternating nicely between very fast verses and a slow, but beautiful chorus, with the highlight being a very rare clean vocal section from Federico, whose clean vocals are otherwise largely relegated to serving as vocal harmonies, while the latter stays at a fast pace throughout, and has a nice solo in the second half.

The first of two longer tracks on the album is “Winterfall”. It’s a very epic track, where the keys have a slight symphonic feel to them, while the guitar work is a bit heavier and harder hitting at times, while at other points it switches to some of those epic Maiden style galloping riffs, with the vocal melodies also have a strong Maiden influence. It’s a very epic, fast-paced and melodic track, overall, and it’s one of the two tracks here to feature some of Federico’s intense, powerful harsh vocals. They come in quick bursts throughout the track, with Jade leading the way through most of it, but the harsh vocals are very effective and help make the track even more epic than it otherwise would have been.

Moving into the second half, “Unspoken” is another speedy, but pretty light track, with small traces of that classic heavy metal sound to the guitars, though for the most part, it’s a more modernized, melodic track, which reminds me a bit of some Temperance tracks, particularly with the trance-like keys, and the chorus. It’s a very fun track, overall. Next is the lightest full song on the album, “Lost in Time”, which is a bit slower and more keyboard driven than all the other songs here, though it still moves at a pretty fast pace, and it still has some nice guitar work. It also has some amazing vocals, as Jade sings a bit lighter and at a slightly higher pitch than normal, but she completely nails it, especially during the amazing, super melodic and catchy chorus, which only gets better during the amazing final run. It’s the most accessible track here, as well as one of my favorites.

In between the two previously mentioned interludes is “Forever”, another fast-paced and very melodic track, with some epic backing vocal harmonies from Federico, as well as another excellent chorus, and a great guitar solo in the second half. Closing out the album is the title track, which is another speedy, hard-hitting track, which moves at a blistering pace early on, alternating nicely between clean and harsh vocals, before slowing down for an epic, very beautiful chorus. It’s a track that alternates very nicely between fast and slow passages throughout, as well as making equally great use of Jade’s smooth and powerful clean vocals, and Federico’s intense harsh vocals. It brings back a bit of the melodeath elements from the debut and is definitely one of my favorites here.

Overall, Crowned in Frost is an excellent sophomore release from Frozen Crown, even if I feel it could have been slightly better. It’s clear the band has figured their sound out at this point, and the more focused power metal sound works very well for the band, while allowing Jade to fully take over the leading role, as she deserves, but it also still gives space for Federico to occasionally come in with his own excellent vocals. However, the lack of variety is a bit disappointing, and I’m not too pleased by the fact that 3/11 tracks are purely instrumental, with the intro being the only one that fully works, and doesn’t feel distracting. Overall, though, it’s an excellent release, which should please fans of the debut, and I’d definitely recommend it to any power metal fan looking for a great release, with some excellent, melodic guitar work, some great, epic keys, and some excellent female vocals. I think the band still has room for improvement, but they continue to show promise, and while I slightly prefer The Fallen King, both of their albums so far have been excellent.

originally written for myglobalmind.com: https://myglobalmind.com/2019/03/23/frozen-crown-crowned-in-frost-review/

DippoMagoo It seems every year without fail, I hear an album within the first two months that blows me away, either from a band making their debut or from a band who previously hadn’t impressed me much. This year my first truly exciting album comes from Italian power metal band Frozen Crown, who are set to release their debut, The Fallen King, in early February. The band is led by vocalist Giada “Jade” Etro and vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Federico Mondelli, who are both very experienced with other genres, and now they’ve come together to create their own brand of melodic power metal. I was instantly impressed when I first heard the lead single “The Shieldmaiden”, and thankfully The Fallen King is a case where the entire album proves to be on about the same level as the single, providing listeners with some amazing speedy power metal from start to finish.

Frozen Crown play a very melodic and high energy brand of power metal, that’s certainly inspired by classic European power metal, and for the most part, fans can expect some very speedy power metal, with some excellent melodies and vocal lines throughout. There’s a lot of keyboards, as is typical for the genre, though the guitars are quite prominent as well, with some heavy riffs and, some very nice melodic leads and occasionally some very good shredding, especially during the instrumental sections. At times, the album reminds a bit of Canadian band Unleash the Archers, or at least that band’s faster songs, as a few of the tracks here throw in some melodic death metal elements, which come in the form of some extra heavy and more modern sounding guitar work, as well as the occasional use of harsh vocals. Songwriting is excellent and quite varied, with many of the tracks being fast-paced, though there’s the occasional slow and mid-paced track, as well as one ballad, and even among the faster tracks there are those which are pure power metal and those which throw in some melodic death metal elements, as well as slight symphonic elements, so every song ends up standing out in its own way.

The biggest strength of the band is their vocals, as they have three different vocal styles, all of which are done very well. First up is the lead vocals, performed by Jade, who has a deep and very powerful voice that at times reminds me of Brittney Slayes, except a bit lighter and more melodic. She has a voice that carries melody very well, while still having enough power to excel during the heavier sections, and she sounds amazing on every track here, with her vocals easily being my favorite element of the band’s music. Next is Federico Mondelli’s clean vocals, which are fairly animated and intense. These only appear on a few tracks and are mostly used during verses, but they’re very effective when they appear. Lastly, we have Federico’s growls, which are very deep and powerful. These only appear on a few tracks as well and are also mostly used in quick bursts, except for on the closing track “Netherstorm”, where they’re a lot more prominent, and they sound quite epic.

Another huge strength is the songwriting, which is consistently excellent throughout the album, as well as being varied enough that every track is memorable in different ways. First up is the amazing opener “Fail No More”, which charges out of the gates at a breakneck pace, with some excellent lead guitar work as some nice use of keys for extra flavor. The verses are explosive and have great leading vocals from Federico, while Jade provides some great backing vocals, and then the chorus kicks in and Jade takes over, immediately stealing the show with her powerful voice, and delivering an instantly catchy and epic chorus that gets the album off to an excellent start. The track has an excellent shredding guitar solo and is an explosive, melodic and very catchy track that gives listeners a great idea of what to expect from the rest of the album.

On the slightly calmer side is “To Infinity”, a very melodic and more keyboard driven track, which still moves at a pretty fast pace, but is definitely lighter and less intense than the opening track. This track is the first true taste of Jade’s voice, as she leads the entire song on her own, aside from backing vocals, and she delivers an amazing performance, especially during the epic final run of the chorus. The chorus itself is very melodic and one of the catchier ones on the album, for sure, while the melodic guitar solo in the middle is also very nice. Staying with calmer material, “I Am the Tyrant” is the first more mid-paced track on the album, and it has some great lead guitar work, as well as being another track where Federico uses his clean vocals quite a bit, as well as a few growls during the chorus. It’s a very melodic track with another amazing chorus, as well as some great guitar work and nice use of keys throughout. In similar territory is “Across the Sea”, another lighter more keyboard driven track like “To Infinity”, except this one is slightly slower, and again it’s Jade who steals the show here, with very light but deep and powerful vocals, that especially shine during probably the best chorus on the entire album.

The instrumental work on this track is a bit simple but very effective as well, as it’s definitely one of my favorites. The one ballad on the album is “Chasing Lights”, which unlike most ballads, is actually largely instrumental, with some very light keys used throughout as well as some beautiful guitar melodies, with the main melody, in particular, serving as the starting point for the next track, “Queen of Blades”. It has some great vocals from Jade and Federico in the middle and is a very nice track that serves as a change of pace in between two of the most epic and intense songs on the album.

On the speedier side of things, we have “Kings”, a more straight-forward and classic sounding power metal track, with the guitars, in particular, having a very throwback sound to them, while Jade handles all the lead vocals on this track, and excels as always. It’s a speedy, heavy track that should definitely please most power metal fans, with its excellent guitar leads and powerful vocal lines, as well as another great guitar solo. I already briefly mentioned “The Shieldmaiden”, which is probably my favorite song here, and it’s definitely an amazing lead single. It’s for sure the most epic track on the album, with an extended intro that briefly starts off with some nice keys, before the guitars kick in and the song speeds up, mixing in some slight symphonic elements, before the vocals finally take over, and Jade delivers a powerful performance as always, especially during the unforgettable and super epic chorus, while Federico’s growls are also used in quick bursts throughout the track. It has a very nice extended instrumental section in the middle, and musically I’d say it’s by far the most epic and most interesting track on the album, while the vocal lines are amazing as always, making the song an instant classic. Another excellent speedier track is “Queen of Blades”, which builds off the main melody of “Chasing Lights” and speeds it up, turning into a fast-paced power metal track with slight melodic death metal elements, enhanced by some excellent growls. It’s another excellent track with a great instrumental section and is definitely one of the heavier songs on the album.

Moving on to the final two tracks, “Everwinter” is another speedier track and has a very classic power metal feel to it, with some excellent keyboard melodies, as well as some excellent vocal melodies as always. It moves at a frantic pace and is one of the more pure power tracks, with Jade leading the way throughout, and the chorus is absolutely fantastic and super catchy. Lastly, we have “Netherstorm”, which very much feels like a melodic death metal track, with more frantic and intense sounding drums than normal, and it’s the heaviest track on the album by far, as well as being the track with the most growled lines. It’s a very fun way to the end the album for sure and has excellent melodic guitar work throughout, as well as another great chorus.

Overall, The Fallen King is an excellent debut, which delivers the kind of fast-paced, melodic power metal fans of the genre are sure to love, as well as occasional melodic death metal elements and some excellent vocals. The songwriting is varied enough that each song stands out while being consistently amazing throughout, and overall it’s an amazing album, which makes me very excited to hear more from Frozen Crown in the future. Highly recommended for fans of speedy, melodic power metal as well as folks who like having some melodic death metal elements mixed in with their power metal, and anyone looking to hear some great, very powerful female vocals.

originally written for myglobalmind.com: https://myglobalmind.com/2018/01/13/frozen-crown-fallen-king-review/