Kingcrow - Hopium

Angry Metal Guy 80

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve thought about Italy’s Kingcrow because we somehow missed their 2018 release, The Persistence. That album was solid but once I heard it, I immediately returned to 2015’s untouchable masterpiece, Eidos. It’s been almost a decade since I fell in love with Kingcrow and now they’re back with a new offering, Hopium. To no one’s surprise, I am not the biggest fan of prog metal. But, the quirkiness of Kingcrow does things to my heart, bowels, and nether regions. With killer cuts, like “The Moth,” “The Deeper Divide,” and “On the Barren Ground,” there’s very little from Eidos that I don’t adore. Also, they’re Italian, so that’s a plus. But now, as they tried with The Persistence, Kingcrow tries to topple their greatest release from its comfy throne. But how can that even be possible?

If you’ve heard Eidos, you know the random shit this cool outfit can do. From weird-ass effects to stomping riffs to gorgeous melancholy, Kingcrow can do it all—not to mention the pipes on Diego Marchesi, who somehow pulls it all together and never forces anything. What’s different about Hopium is that it’s a bit more controlled than Eidos. And not in a bad way. Instead of mind-fucking shock value, where you have no clue what happens next, the band tightens everything up and focuses on strong song deliveries. Hopium lays harder into the synthy atmospheres and the band comes together to strengthen choruses with beautiful harmonization. There are definitely killer riffs sprinkled throughout, with impressive drum displays by Thundra Cafolla. But, the overall effort is slick and smooth, building songs off the band members’ strengths.

Hopium by KINGCROW

“Kintsugi” begins the album on a good foot, grooving out a fun, poppy, effects-laden piece with some shiny vocals. After an interesting dip that becomes almost sinister, the hooking chorus sets in like a fucking meat hook. Though predictable, this little piece sets the stage, displaying the strong vocal support that grows with each track. With an album that grows stronger as it progresses, “Vicous Circle” takes everything the opener did, but does more. Opening with cool drum work, synths, and echoing guitars, this song does so much in its mere four-plus-minute runtime. After literally humming with synthy atmospheres, one of the biggest choruses on the record erupts. Sporting strong leading and backing vocals, the chorus is wrapped in a beautiful atmosphere, making it one of the better of the album. While these two songs provide that calm Kingcrowness that I crave, the best track on the album is “White Rabit’s Hole.” After opening with some soft, Dream Theater-like vocals and orchestration, it builds to the best chorus on the record. Hopping and bounding along, the harmonizing vocals soar, making this one of the band’s best songs ever. But the fun factor only increases on the back half when a kickass riff comes into play, galloping to its mighty conclusion.

But, Hopium is not without a little weirdness. The back-to-back “Glitch” and “Parallel Lines” are particularly wacko. The first has synthpop vibes that remind me of a lovely band named Priest, who you all hated. Rather than just being a synthpop track, Kingcrow morphs it into a respectable prog piece that reminds me of Spock’s Beard. But for all its strangeness, the bumble bee guitar work of “Parallel Lines” tops it. One of the longer tracks on the album, this ditty explores various nooks and crannies of Kingcrow’s progressive prowess. From the bumble bee comes a dark, creeping black widow that eventually morphs into a bull charging through strings of supporters at a political convention. Then, everything collapses, calming to beautiful acoustic guitars and its conclusion.

Even on first listen, it’s clear that Hopium is not Eidos. But, that is OK because this new record is every bit as good as the previous masterpiece I had the pleasure of reviewing. When it’s calm, it’s gorgeous; heavy, headbangable; melodic, a harmonizing tapestry of voices. And, if you are a fan of Borealis’ 2022 release, Illusions, you’ll be pleased to hear Vikram Shankar’s piano contribution on the closing title track. Hopium still maintains the crazy, progressive character so common to Kingcrow’s sound, but it’s more controlled and focused—each song lending a hand to the other for a seamless flow. If only Hopium had the same dynamics as Eidos. Between the vocal harmonization and lavish synth orchestrations, a more dynamic master would have been incredible. That said, Hopium is a lister, and “White Rabbit’s Hole” is my top song for the year so far.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Season of Mist
Websites: kingcrow1.bandcamp.com | kingcrow.it | facebook.com/kingcrowband
Releases Worldwide: August 23rd, 2024

The post Kingcrow – Hopium Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.