CROWNED IN EARTH is English multi-instrumentalist Kevin Lawry's personal endeavor. The band was formed in 2008 by Kevin, along with drummer Darin McCloskey and bass guitarist Pug Kirby. This progressive rock band has released several album throughout its lifetime - from the 2008 independently released demo "Welcome to the Brotherhood of the Crown" to the 2010 debut album "Visions of the Haunted" to the 2012 album "A Vortex of Earthly Chimes".

I have to open this review by stating that I didn't like this album - I'm sorry, this might be just my own opinion, but this album didn't spark anything too interesting in my brain. The smell of influences like CAMEL and KING CRIMSON are strongly present in the air. Something is missing, maybe the album is too disjunctive; many things are out of place and don't continue each other correctly or in a soothing way. The album reuses many of the genre's boring clichés in it, a messy clusterfuck of a pile of instruments and other voices that were added to the mix as spice - but became boring and untasteful. Some riffs were enjoyable, such as the opening part of "Summer's Pride" - but too little of them. Kevin's vocals felt - I must say - unmusical and unpleasant to my ear. I even have to say that, throughout this album, it felt pretty unpleasant - it was very hard to listen to without getting either bored, or closing the music player.

Maybe I'm wrong - that is what all other reviews I read by now told me - but I don't feel like this album is anything too special. The players are definitely good musicians, but I can't review the album from their skill - but from my subjective standpoint.

But I don't know - maybe years of stoner, sludge and post-hardcore poisoned my brain. If you like bands like KING CRIMSON, CAMEL, MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA and other bands of the liking - give this album a listen - you might like it better than I did.
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