Vengeance

Simplicity versus technical proficiency; two different sides of a coin. I believe a good metal band should always seek the middle ground between these very distinct sides, sometimes hanging a little bit towards one of them for good measure and for dynamic's sake. In my opinion, a band that sticks too much to a formula or to a predetermined songwriting trick will rapidly become stale and irrelevant, but there are some bands that can make such thing work. There are some bands that choose to be technical or simple, but they do it in such a way that it becomes part of the band's identity instead of an obstacle. Crom is one of these bands.

There is a particular (and quite well known) song I believe most of both seasoned and young metalheads alike enjoy or should enjoy, and that song is 'One Rode to Asa Bay' by good ol’ Bathory. It has something in its composition that is both powerful and driving, and it is a damn simple song in the instrumental aspect. It is the living proof that one can write non-complicated music and still sound fresh and fun as hell.

Enter Walter 'Crom' Grosse, a German musician who took this idea and perfected it, transforming it into an album of such greatness and such (moderate) simplicity that one can't help but enjoy it, even if straightforward songwriting isn't one's cup of tea.

This is viciously catchy, and I mean it. The epic, barbarian-like atmosphere is everywhere but all songs have their own identity, avoiding the common trap of writing songs that sound too much like each other. I really enjoy the flowing, organic nature of these tracks as it is truly something to behold. You won’t find any clunky, mechanical riffs or melodies here, as everything is obviously thoroughly written to be as natural and unchained as possible. Just like a raging river; its violent nature is evident, but you can still find much beauty in the way it moves and runs.

Crom’s voice is also something to behold. A very good and (from what I can hear) experienced baritone; the man is really comfortable with his range and with the songs themselves, showing no difficulty at sounding emotional, angry or saddened. Definitely one of the best and most interesting singers this subgenre has ever seen, in my opinion. Apparently he also has a nice growl, but unfortunately we don’t get to hear much of it (only in ‘The Stars Will Fall’), so I hope he roars a bit more on his next releases.

If you don’t mind a little bit of simplicity in your metal, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this release. A veritable proof you don’t need billions of guitar solos, tempo changes and ultra-progressive songwriting to write a good album, a lesson many musicians tend to forget nowadays.

This is the type of album you listen to just to have some good old fashioned fun, like when you sing/play that particular Iron Maiden song you enjoy (yes, that one that on which the chorus is just a E D C pattern). You know its bloody simple, but you can’t help but love it every time. This is Crom’s Vengeance.

Highlights; Wings of Fire, Vengeance Part II - …and the effect, The Stars Will Fall, Fire.

Crom is a really fresh and lively one man Viking/Power metal band from Germany. Even though the band officially took form in the latter years of the ‘90s, the debut full length, Vengeance, came out in the summer of 2008. When you hear the term “Viking/Power metal” you probably immediately think of Tyr. Fair enough, but that’s not really what this album offers. The progressive elements of Tyr are traded in for a more crowd pleasing, straight forward, and catchy sound and the result is consistently strong.

Vengeance opens with a fast paced, galloping melody which sounds like the more upbeat songs on Bathory’s Nordland albums. The guitar work seamlessly melds with the powerful vocals and the chorus is a great highlight of the album. Even a nice solo on this one. A great way to start things off. Thankfully, Crom is packing a lot more than just a juicy opener. The Restless King is much slower paced and lengthier, but still features some great vocal melodies. Crom shows off his emotional side with the yearning acoustic piece, simply titled Crom. The acoustic guitar really shines and I only wish that it was showcased more often in some of the heavier songs. From here on, the songs vary in tempo and heaviness, making an excellent and diverse listen. If I was to choose a personal favourite, I might go with the epic The Stars Shall Fall. It opens with the most memorable acoustic melody on the album accompanied by a deep spoken passage. After about a minute, the song opens up into a strong riff and there’s even some harsh vocals (the only on the album) in the background of the verses.

I would definitely say that Crom is one of the more impressive one man bands in recent memory, and by Conan's cock, there are a lot sprouting up all over the place lately. The instrumentation is flawless and always memorable. Plenty of interesting riffs are present throughout, from the fast paced, energetic Unchain The Hero, to the slower, hard hitting epic, Hammer of the Gods. The acoustics are nice, although the other fully acoustic song on the album, A Life Unbearable, is a bit weak. I think I would rather just have an instrumental because it’s the vocals/lyrics that don’t sit well with me on that one. The vocals and lyrics in general, however, are very appealing aspects of the music. By the way, is that a drum machine? It sure as hell doesn’t sound like it. If Crom did the drums, then that’s just mind-boggling because they really thunder in some songs and the production on them is pretty mighty.

Because of Crom’s bursting energy and unyielding passion, he can get away with shamelessly worshipping Bathory for an entire album. I’m just happy that someone is still carrying the flame these days, and hey, when the music is this catchy and Kris Verwimp has done the artwork, I think you’ve got yourself a modern classic.

Crom, the solo project of former guitarist for the German black metal outfit Dark Fortress, gives us melodic/progressive heavy metal with viking flavour. Recording for Vengeance was finished in 2007, however it took until 2008 for him to find a label and release it. I was anticipating the release of this album and I attest to it being worth the wait. Here is a sound that is crisp and fresh like newly fallen snow and reminiscent of Bathory’s good stuff.

In my opinion, a quality album is one whose songs are all worth listening to. Sadly there aren’t very many quality albums being released these days. Crom, however, presents an album whose songs are all worth listening to. The album rips off with ‘Wings of Fire’, a song whose melodic vocal melodies, guitar riffs/solos, and blastbeats set the standard for the rest of the album. And the rest of the album meets the standard.

The next couple songs employ a nice grade of acoustics, the song ‘Crom’ is entirely acoustic as is ‘A Life Unbearable’, both of which are mellow, melodic, and melancholic, however the lyrics in ‘A Life Unbearable’ sound a bit like the lament of a whiney-boy, which is a bit of a departure from the barbarian motif that seems to appear in the other songs (the name of the band and a lot of the lyrics lend themselves to a Robert E. Howard-esque ambience). The lyrics on ‘A Life Unbearable’ is basically my only complaint for the entire album and it’s a fairly minor complaint. Almost not worth mentioning, but I mentioned it.

If you told me to pick my favourite song from this album I don’t think I would be able to. It could easily be any one of them (yeah, ok, except for ‘A Life Unbearable’ even though it’s still a pretty good song). Each song is gifted with a unique melody and crafted with soaring male vocals and proficient guitar (whether acoustic or electric). Vengeance is one of the most fresh and redeeming releases of 2008. The sound quality is strong and the cover art is by Kris Verwimp… What else can I say? It’s a quality album. What are you waiting for?