Register Forgot login?

© 2002-2024
Encyclopaedia Metallum

Privacy Policy

Isengard > Crownless Majesty > Reviews
Isengard - Crownless Majesty

Decent is the right word for this - 52%

Ancient_Minstrel, April 25th, 2005

The first thing that I noticed about this album was the cover. I, as a Power Metal lover, thought it looked promising. When I now have listened through the album I don’t think that the music reaches the level the cover promises.

This is undoubtedly Power Metal but it has some elements that separate it from most others in that genre. Soft Power Metal would be a suitable name for their music if you ask me. Their music reminds me a bit about Freedom Call and Rhapsody but they aren’t very similar to any of them. Their usage of the classic Metal instruments is not special; the few solos that occur on this album are short and typical for the Power Metal genre. The riffs are sometimes a little Speed Metal influenced and they sound ok but they are really nothing that you remember. The lead guitar is actually used surprisingly seldom. The bass sounds very good even though it is mostly in the background and the drummer does his job but nothing more. The drumming is at the level you expect from a decent Power band but it often sounds a bit monotonous and there are no spectacular drum solos at all. Instead, the strengths of Isengard are the soft parts where they often skip both drums and guitars. They replace it with flutes and string instruments (which sound very good) and a wind instrument that I think is a tuba (which sounds awful). Even though they let go of the usual instruments pretty often, it still sounds very much Power Metal.

This album reminds me about Rhapsody’s “Symphony of Enchanted Lands II” because of the many sound effects in the background. Dragon screams, waves, battle sounds and whispers are heard often on this album. That stuff can be very effective used properly but Isengard use them a little too often. Sometimes it sounds very good, other times it is only disturbing. Chanting is also used a lot but that fits in very nicely and gives the songs another dimension. The quality of the songs varies very much and so do the singer’s performances. Over all, his performance is rather weak. The lyrics are mostly not good but the lyrics on the tracks with a clear theme are better.


Here follows a review for each song:

Dreamland
The first song starts up in a high tempo with the typical “dragon-slaying” sound. The riff is frenetic and the chorus is rather catchy. The drummer’s performance is good. The singer is decent on this track and altogether this is a pretty good song.

Coming Home
The singer does better here and the drumming is perhaps the best on the entire album. It is much heavier than on most of the songs. The tempo is lower and leaves the “dragon-slaying”. A short but ok solo in the end and a riff that sounds a bit like Blind Guardian’s old song “Gandalf’s Rebirth” contribute to the higher quality on this one. The guitars are also heavier than on most of their other songs. The lyrics are weird however, and I think that they only put some cool sentences together (like Nightwish always do).

Legends
A very short track containing battle sounds with the disturbing tuba in the background (it will return, I promise). The other background music is nice but sounds more than movie music than Metal. Altogether this is an unnecessary track.

The Winds of War
The riff is on the border between Power and Speed Metal in this one and it sounds nice in the beginning but becomes monotonous in the end of the song. The lead guitarist plays a well sounding solo in the middle but is defeated by the excellent string instrument solos. The drummer is good this time too and increases the speed of the drumming. Unfortunately, the chorus is boring which prevents this from a higher grade.

Stormcrow
Suddenly the quality increases a lot. The singer sings very well for once and the really slow tempo is something that Isengard really know how to use. A flute has an important role on this track and it is magnificent! The calm drumming is nothing spectacular and the guitars are barely used in this song. The lyrics are also much better here. This song gives me a “deep inside the forest”-feeling and according to me this is the best song of this album.

Dragon Empire
Here the quality drops quickly again. This song is really long-winded and I always yawn several times before it is over. The lead guitar the heavy bass put in impressive performances but the rest is boring. The good parts of this song sound much like Rhapsody’s late albums. But this is a boring song.

Shadow of Light
The damn tuba is here again! It destroys the beginning of this song. The rhythm is slow but some parts, especially the chorus, contain classic Power Metal rhythm. The chorus sounds a bit like Hammerfall, even though it doesn’t reach their level. A part with chanting of female voices and flute is the best in this one.

The Crownless Majesty
The title track is only decent. The sort of cut off riff is good. It contains a really nice solo and the bass does a great job. The rhythm varies a lot. In the chorus the rhythm guitar is galloping. The singer’s pronunciation is weak in a couple of places. The chorus is uninspired.

Armour of Gods
This song contains a soft part and that is the only thing that isn’t bad. The drumming is the same throughout the whole song, the bridge is annoying, the chorus is extremely annoying and the riff is monotonous. It is clearly the worst song on this album.

Poltava
This is a really good song. Once again Isengard return to the calm concept and succeed with it. The singer’s voice darkens and he sounds really inspired, which is unusual. Some parts include piano and that fits in great. The lyrics are about the destruction of the Swedish 18th-century king Karl XII and his army outside Poltava. They are very well written. The only thing that is not good in this song is the annoying tuba. It lowers the grade one step.

Eye of the Storm
This song’s lyrics sound like Viking Metal but the sound is true and great Power Metal. There is swift drumming and a nice riff. The long chorus is catchy and really good. The bass-player does a great job here. Altogether this is a really good song that you want to sing along with and it has a great flow. Power Metal as it sounds at its best.
The Empire
This is a really short song that involves the damn tuba, again. It is totally unnecessary and nothing to hear, really.



Finally this album can be summarized by a few words. Three songs are really good, “Stormcrow”, “Poltava” and “The Eye of the Storm”. The rest disappears in the large amount of decent Power Metal, leaving no special signs.