12th April 2023

Review: “Awareness” by Crownshard

Five long years after their self titled debut EP surfaced in March 2018, the return of Italian Death Metal machine Crownshard with a sophomore EP in “Awareness” is feels long overdue. Conceived by guitarist and vocalist Cesare Fioriti back in 2016, the project finds him joined by guitarist Manuel Rizzolo, bassist Saverio Rossi and drummer Riccardo Bonini with this new offering being mixed and mastered by Fioriti himself. A concept release centred around the search for awareness, necessary to have a clearer and more balanced vision of our existence in the world and life in general, the word “awareness” never appears in any lyrics because it is metaphorically hidden – as awareness is hidden within ourselves. Instead the lyrics muse on suicide, revenge, failure, depression, and perdition, recurring realities of human existence where awareness could be rediscovered.

The sounds of awaking from a nightmare bring “There Is Nothing Left” to life like the reanimation of a corpse with a lethal injection of adrenaline. Fioriti ‘s caustic vocals perforating the ear drums of those not prepared for this barbed and vicious tongue, his tone and style perhaps more in keeping with Black Metal than Death Metal but it works perfectly here, tearing down the blue skies and leaving nothing but black and grey. Sonically the band interweave abrasive riffs with hints of melody, the solo and lead parts the gold teeth which remain intact in the skull they crush with their rhythmic brutality. Escaping into Groove laden Death Thrash with “Feeling Still Cursed“, the riffs flow with a real swagger and verve, while the vocals penetrate the cerebral cortex like a drill, perhaps hinting at influence from the likes of Exodus or Karmian. However its “Mankind Has Failed” which brings the real surprise with elements of both Progressive and Black Metal interwoven into the bands rich tapestry. The rich and vibrant solo providing a real melancholic overtone as it plays out majestically before a pulverising blast beat section goes off like artillery shelling in the dead of night. A sinister and perhaps haunting conclusion makes it the absolute Chef’s Kiss, a cut that encapsulates the finest of Crowdshard in a single easy to swallow pill. Acid rain continues to fall with the dark and foreboding “Eternal Timeless Fall“, another savage cut that plays out like a storm in the dead of night before a melodic moment of calm clarity that rises once, soloing brilliantly in the fade. It’s one of those cuts where you want the solo to continue on having endured some of the punishment to get to it but it still calls you back to the void for more. Returning to the Groove Death sound Crowdshard finish on a high with “Healed By The Hell“, a cut which gives Irish Psychological Death Metallers Strangle Wire a run for their money with its sheer neck snapping sounds. Again the soloing impresses with a classic 90’s era nostalgic piece of magic elevating the blunt force trauma to something a little more elegant [7.5/10]

Track Listing