Review || Crown The Empire - "DOGMA"

 

 Crown The Empire returns after a four-year hiatus on April 28th 2023 with their fifth studio album, "DOGMA", out via Rise Records. My relationship with CTE started with "The Fallout" and reached a peak with "The Resistance", which I still listen to from time to time. Despite taking off in the midst of the second wave of metalcore of the early '10s, the band never fully conformed to a strictly metalcore identity. On the contrary, they started expanding their musical curiosity all while retaining a CTE core.

"DOGMA" is exactly that. While fumbling with electronic sounds and modern metalcore riffs, it still holds its ground. Conceived during the pandemic, it explores themes of vulnerability, isolation and frustration by employing various means of expression. I must admit that the lead single and title track, which opens the record, felt dragging since I first heard it and I feel still doesn't fully capture the listener's attention even as part of the track listing. With "Black Sheep" luckily things pick up. Now, there's a weird vibe I get from this song; Andy Leo's high pitched vocals at times remind me of Turnstile, while the breakdowns and harsh vocals in the verses are reminiscent of Electric Callboy's recent big hits, minus the electronics of course. I don't know why but I really can't shake that thought. And it appears to be a pretty good combination. Anyway, moving on. "Modified" and "Paranoid" that follow are more to the point; while the former is more on the anthemic side, the latter plays more with Leo's emotive cleans. There's no doubt this guy is one of the more consistent singers in the scene; his ability to hit and sustain high notes comfortably is probably his trademark, but this doesn't mean that his range isn't equally impressive. 

"In Another Life" that follows, features guest vocals by the metalcore queen herself, Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox. Admittedly, when I first heard this song it gave me major Spiritbox vibes. While I appreciate CTE combining elements of both bands and a catchy chorus, knowing how versatile LaPlante is and what the quartet can create, I would have liked to see something a little more challenging and outside of everyone's comfort zones. Regardless, it's still one of the tracks that stand out in the album. "Superstar", on the other hand, which features another guest, Remington Leith of Palaye Royale, is an absolute curve ball. The composition shifts gears and presents a wholly different outlook, adapting an almost pop approach that enrobes the cynical, almost dark lyrics. Leith and Leo's voices work very harmoniously together, as both singers have a distinctive clarity in their timbre, especially in their higher registers. On "Dancing With The Dead", CTE present their heaviest facet with one of the most ruthless, genre-worshipping tunes they have ever written. The screams, performed by Andy Leo and bassist Hayden Tree, are scything, the guitars are shattering and the overall feel of unease is only enhanced by the borderline worrisome lyrics. 

"Immortalize" and "Someone Else" return to the spirit of the album and the CTE core identity we have seen so far, with the melodic hooks, the groovy riffs and big choruses. As we reach the end, the curtain falls gloriously with "Labyrinth". The track sums up all the fascinating traits that make "DOGMA" what it is and makes the record go out with a bang. 

Overall, "DOGMA" is a good album but the reality is, it doesn't reinvent the wheel. Crown The Empire have found how to make the best use out of elements that express where they currently are at life and convert the angst, fears and insecurities that the pandemic brought forward, into a form of musical therapy. I find positive that the band wasn't scared to explore a little bit further into other genres, nor drop drastically different songs in the mix to spice things up (oldschool fans might be able to draw a vague similarity between "Superstar" and "Millenia" from "The Resistance" in terms of track flow disruption). "DOGMA" is quite consistent, a CTE creation to the bone, but I feel it still somehow didn't reach its full potential, despite the band's calculated work and having some very memorable tracks. 

7.5/10

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