CROWNASIDE, a band from Murcia, Spain, have released their Independent album, "From Mud To Ashes," April, 24, 2019. They mix elements from a variety of genres such as melodic Death, Groove, and Black metal. CROWNASIDE came to be in 2013 and released a self-titled EP in 2015.  Their first full debut album is a concept album that recounts the history of Mayan people and the way they were tortured by the Spanish. The first three tracks narrate the creation of the Mayan culture, while the final four tracks recall the arrival of the Spanish tormentors and the events that followed. The album also features guest vocals from Drew Griffith of UR DRAUGHR and Johan Brandberg of MEADOWS END. Let us head forward and see what the band brings with this 7-track experience.

"The First Breed" comes in with a decent groove. It does seem to give off more of the groovy riffs as the song progresses. The drums sound like a horse galloping in parts, but finds a decent rhythm in between sections. The vocals themselves seem to be very dark and daunting but do not fit well within this song. "Never Alive" creates more of a good mixture between the music and vocals.  It has this psychedelic change in between the verse and chorus that are really trippy. It is followed by a ripping guitar solo before fading back into the bouncy riffs of the beginning. "Xibalba" is the album's third track. The title itself reminds me of Dee Snider's "Strangeland".  You remember the club where the final fight between Detective Gage and Captain Howdy duke it out? Back to the song itself, the intro is a soft melody before it gives a good head bobbing riff. The dark vocals match very well within the song. The band seem to be progressing musically over the first three songs. "Ruins" starts with a very soft melodic intro that changes into this darkening sky. The progression and transitions are heavy throughout the song while the vocals are still heavy and menacing. The music is really blended well here, and I would place it on my workout playlist.

CROWNASIDE have released a decent album that is worth a listen. Although it is barely reaching the 30-minute mark in total, there are some catchy tunes to really take a chance on. You also have the two singers on two different tracks. On "1492" with Drew Griffith and "Scent Of Burning Flesh" with Johan, the guys give another layer to the band's music. Even though the band has been around since 2013, they still seem like a young group trying to figure things out. The band will surely progress more with time and with their sound. CROWNASIDE shows some great promise.