VINCENT CROWLEY is not only the band name, is it also the name of the singer. If you recognise it, that could be because he used to be the main man in ACHERON, INCANTATION and NOCTURNUS. He must have thought it the appropriate time and opportunity to start a band under his own moniker, and thus VINCENT CROWLEY was resurrected. In the information provided to us by the record company, the links to Old School Death Metal, KING DIAMOND and CANDLEMASS are very evident. Well, I’ll just say that all through my several listening sessions of the debut album “Anthology Of Horror”, the main name that crossed my mind was MIDNIGHT, albeit a very tame and subdued version. And yes, I do understand the KING DIAMOND comparison, as the guitar sounds and riffing are very much in the vein of that band.

I can also agree on the other two links they have put in their info, but they are a lot less evident than the two I mentioned thus far. At least, that is, to me. As for Vincent Crowley as a singer/grunter, his voice is raspy and gravelly, but easy to understand and simple to listen to. Reason for that is also caused by the way he has constructed his vocal lines. They are very much in sync with the music, following it like a very obedient puppy. Nowhere will you find him going off track, trying a different path, attempting to surprise us in any way possible. To me it feels as if he’s afraid to play it risky, so has decided to play it safe.

As for the music on “Anthology Of Horror” itself, like I said before, will remind you a lot of MIDNIGHT and some of KING DIAMOND, albeit a lot tamer than his peers usually are, especially the former of the two. Maybe that is where the CANDLEMASS name has crept in? But it has to be said, there is nothing wrong with any of the songs on offer here. They are well written and arranged, but alas also recorded in a way too safe manner. I would have loved the music to go overboard once in a while, to let loose the inner beast that is required for an album like “Anthology Of Horror” to really become one of the better ones. Now, unfortunately, it is just a decent one. VINCENT CROWLEY really missed his opportunity here to make an unforgettable first impression.