Bury Tomorrow – The Union of Crowns – Album Review
| Website: | http://www.facebook.com/BuryTomorrow |
| Fans Of: | While She Sleeps, Miss May I |
| Label: | Nuclear Blast |
| Download This: | Royal Blood, A Curse |
| Genre(s): | Metalcore |
| Release Date: | 13/07/12 (US), 17/07/12 (UK - Europe) |
The Union of Crowns is the sophomore effort by UK metalcore band Bury Tomorrow and marks a major improvement in the bands song writing from their debut, Portraits. Whilst the bands fundamental approach to song writing has not changed, the huge step up in quality is instantly noticeable.
Opening track ‘Redeemer’ paints the picture for the rest of the album, slowly building up from a very catchy guitar sequence, suddenly bursting into life with the deep guttural growls of Daniel Winter-Bates, providing a different and welcomed variation from traditional metalcore screams. The clean vocals of Jason Cameron also add contrast through the album, providing the template for huge sing-a-long choruses such as that on ‘An Honourable Reign’, or the fantastic ‘Royal Blood’ which follows the traditional metalcore fashion.
Whilst mainly sticking to a formula, Bury Tomorrow do make attempts at trying to deviate from genre clichés. Album closer and highlight ‘A Curse’, exclusively features no growled vocals, starting with a simple guitar riff slowly building along with Cameron’s vocals, until reaching a climax with one of the albums few but brilliant guitar solos. Occasional melancholic passages are also sparingly used in songs such as ‘The Maiden’ or ‘Message To A King’, giving a break from sonic onslaught.
If there is one problem with The Union of Crowns, it is that the majority of the songs follow text book metalcore templates, such as screamed verses followed by clean choruses. Because of the quantity, this becoming quite monotonous, especially when spread over 14 songs. The band could have benefited by saving a few of the weaker songs for an EP release, making the album more concise, immediate and varied in song writing.
The Union of Crowns may not be a revolutionary approach to metalcore, nor will it change the minds of those who are not already a fan of the sub-genre. The quality of song writing on display over these 14 tracks makes the Union of Crowns essential listening for any fan of metalcore.
01. Redeemer
02. The Maiden
03. Lionheart
04. Message to a King
05. An Honourable Reign
06. Knight Life
07. Royal Blood
08. Bitemarks
09. Abdication of Power
10. Kingdom
11. 1603
12. Sceptres
13. Vacant Throne
14. A Curse
