Selves We Cannot Forgive

I only encountered this album through the recommendation of a friend. Perhaps I should listen to his advice more often. Black Crown Initiate were...initially...a band I wrote off as another stale deathcore band, mainly due to the moniker. Oh, how foolish I have been! This is not even their first release! The Pennsylvanians had previously been crushing skulls with their 2014 full-length debut "The Wreckage of Stars" - but 2016 sees the quintet grow in stature and maturity. "Selves We Cannot Forgive" is by no means a cheerful affair, but by the end of its 51-minute duration, you'll be asking yourself where the time went.

What's on the menu here is progressive death metal a la Opeth, with a generous dose of Hate Eternal in the more extreme sections, and tinges of late-90s Death with regards to the lyrics and song structures. These are only influences however. In truth, Black Crown Initiate have carved their own sound with plenty of room for expansion. The dual vocal approach of James Dorton's growls and Andy Thomas' streamlined cleans is of their own making, for sure. Never blurring, they always hand the vocal duties to each other like a relay baton. Dorton in particular deserves praise for interesting word patterns that are simultaneously complex and catchy.

Production values are generally pleasing - though the sheer jump in volume between the quieter, acoustic sections and the surrounding death metal maelstrom is almost too much. This album thrives on its ability to switch between full-on blast-beats and soothing ambience without it seeming unnatural. The tranquillity of "Matriarch", leading into the tragic finale of "Vicious Lives" is one of the album's more beautiful moments.

The songwriting is flawless, and reeks of Chuck Schuldiner. The tertiary structure applied to most tracks means that each refrain is memorable. But there's enough space between choruses - chock full of intriguing twists and turns - to keep things progressing. Much like Death circa 1993, it's impressive to hear the bass feature so prominently, carrying melodies of its own. The middle section of "Again" is especially notable: hear how the bass plays variations on the main riff underneath the broken guitar chords? Genius. It's admirable to hear a band who pull of multi-textured songwriting in this way, whilst crafting songs that stick with you upon repeated listens.

If I had to pick any highlights, the moving title-track, along with the melancholy "Sorrowpsalm" take the cake. The mammoth "Belie The Machine" is also one hell of a voyage. Its 9-minute duration is no hindrance at all, as it swells and dips through different dynamics with ease (also, 5-minutes in, there's that bass work again!). The purest form of death metal can be heard in the vicious "Transmit To Disconnect" - which ironically took the most time to grow on me.

It's difficult to guess where this band will go next - though I hope they continue to expand upon the melodic ideas of this album. Try not to listen to one track in isolation, this record definitely works best as one coherent piece of art. The first half is an unhurried surge of volume, but by the end, the sheer dynamic range has left you breathless. The artwork may not be much to shout about, but Black Crown Initiate would have a better time crafting their image on their music. Technically en pointe and atmospherically immersive, "Selves We Cannot Forgive" is another contender for my exclusive 'Top 10 albums of 2016' list.

"Eternal, infernal.
Desperate human alive.
Conscience cannot survive."

On its second full length release, American progressive death metal quintet Black Crown Initiate has further decreased its death metal roots to adapt a more progressive vibe based upon hypnotizingly melancholic melodies. Atmospheric instrumental parts and relaxed clean vocals dominate this intellectual record.

Many tracks start with calm instrumental parts that can last more than two minutes before the tunes actually start to sound like extreme metal music as in the case of the very representative title song "Selves We Cannot Forgive". This track even features some beautiful piano melodies, jazz rhythms and post rock vibes. Still, the numerous introductions on this album never sound boring, exchangeable or pretentious and always add to the atmosphere of each tune.

The acoustic guitar and guitar solos even recall progressive rock groups of the seventies like Gentle Giant and Yes in tunes like "Again". It's not a coincidence that the vinyl version of this record contains a cover of King Crimson's "Fallen Angel" either.

The enchanting, introspective and melodramatic vibes are occasionally interrupted by efficient death metal outbursts with low growls or high shouts, thunderous riffs, heavy bass guitars and a technically stunning drum play that adds some welcome blast beat passages to an otherwise slow record as in the diversified album highlight "Belie the Machine". This masterpiece sounds much shorter than its actual running time of nine minutes. On a side note, this track's chorus is one of the most beautiful things I have heard all year long.

A perfect example for the band's overall mellower sound described above is the album closer "Vicious Lives" that was streamed before the actual record was released. The tune takes three and a half minutes to build up an appeasing, natural and almost sacral atmosphere that recalls the calmer moments of bands like Anathema, Opeth or Solstafir. It takes far more than a minute before clean vocals kick in that remind me of Depeche Mode. Acoustic guitars and slow tribal drum passages slowly amplify the sound that leads to an emotional outburst with vivid drum passages, powerful riffs and liberated clean vocals for about forty-five seconds. The track then ends with a droning sound of static that goes back to the heavier opener to come full circle. In its structure, the tune recalls some more experimental tracks of contemporary In Flames. This kind of song might not be what death metal purists are looking for but anyone who likes profoundly emotional rock and metal music should recognize the high quality song writing behind this brilliant closer.

Death metal fans can still find a few heavier tunes like the diversified, engaging and very focused opener "For Red Clouds" where deep growls, passionate shouts and hypnotizing clean vocals harmonize perfectly. Still, even this heaviest tune on the album would have been among the calmer tracks on the predecessor. This opening track seems to go back to the band's roots for a very last time while the rest of the album becomes progressively calmer and ends with the smoothest tune that seems to indicate a bold future.

Even though an obvious hit like "A Great Mistake" is missing on this sophomore effort, Selves We Cannot Forgive is overall slightly better than the predecessor because each song is close to perfection and follows a clear and coherent structure of emotionally driven melancholy. The album as a whole is a real grower and best enjoyed in a dark room with your headphones on. The more one listens to this release, the more sense it makes. This is definitely a big step in the right direction for this young band that already manages to craft a very distinctive sound. This record should be a rock solid candidate for the top spots on the lists of the best records of the year for anyone who likes progressive extreme metal.

Up until listening to this album, Black Crown Initiate was never a band that managed to claim me as a fan. I always thought their music was good, but it never interested me enough to earn all of my focus. With that being said, "Selves We Cannot Forgive" commanded the entirety of my attention, and refused to let go until it finished playing.

The albums production is great; everything is balanced, crisp and pleasing to the ear. My only complaint is that the distorted guitars sound a tad digital to my ear at points, but that's far from a deal breaker and it in no way taints the listening experience.

Musically, "Selves We Cannot Forgive" delivers exactly what a death metal fan could want with a refreshing, creative twist. The riffs are technical and interesting to listen to without being obnoxious. Each instrument is utilized in a cohesive manner as well as in a way that allows each instrument to speak with its own voice. No complaints here.

Where this album stands out is within it's dynamics. While Black Crown Initiate is outstanding at delivering the brutal metal goodness that we all know and love, they aren't at all afraid of the use of clean guitars and clean singing. For a progressive death metal band, that's no groundbreaking feat; however in this case it's done in a way that blurs genre lines and pushes musical boundaries. No moment on this album felt predictable or used, which is a difficult feat to pull off for most bands.

What really sold me on this record was the vocals. The growls, highs, and cleans are delivered not only with precision and with excellence; but they are executed in a way that separates Black Crown Initiate from the rest of the progressive death metal genre. The vocal melodies and harmonies are astounding. Not only are they catchy, but they're emotional; and that emotion comes across so strongly that it draws emotion out of me.

Selves We Cannot Forgive made me feel. A death metal record hasn't done that to me in a long time. It's familiar territory which is executed in a refreshing way with a creative twist. Listening to this album is a raw, emotional experience that carries the listener in a variety of directions. Not a moment is generic, dull, uninspired or without soul.