Review Summary: Crown the Empire birth another catchy, yet unoriginal album
Crown the Empire have grown in popularity rapidly since the release of their debut album, The Fallout. The Fallout was a decent album, it had catchy hooks, well written songs, and incorporated elements that are alien to the genre of metalcore. However, they tried to tell a story through the album, but the plot gets lost amongst the breakdowns and chugging guitars. Rise of the Runaways suffers similarly, with a vague story that is somewhat buried beneath the over-the-top anthemic choruses.
The number one issue with this album, is its lack of memorable songs. Crown the Empire have tried hard at abandoning the generic metalcore song formula, and in doing so have created an album that despite high expectations, has fallen short. The only song that truly keeps to the metalcore formula is 'Initiation'. Its a catchy, anthemic and epic song, despite its cheesy intro and concept, and its overly generic structure. It is not the best song on the album, but it is one that is memorable, and is no doubt going to be on repeat on many teens iPods for weeks to come. 'Millennia' would be the best song on the album, but it, like Initiation, is horribly generic. Not generic for a band like Crown the Empire, but generic for a rock band. Solemn lyrics about heartbreak and suicide, clean singing throughout and a quiet piano section. Out of all the songs on the album, it is one that stands out, because it doesn't sound like Crown the Empire, it sounds closer to Three Days Grace.
The truly best song on the album, is the closing track, 'Johnny's Rebellion'. This is the third 'Johnny' song from the band, and this is their greatest by far. It's musical structure is very unique, and original. Its quiet opening lures the listener in, sounding like a soft ballad to finish the album. Then, Andrew's vocals become distressed and distorted, and then we hear loud knocks before his voice kicks back in with "OH JOHNNY!" followed by truly maniacal laughter. The song then becomes a harsh, brutal screamfest, and at almost 7 minutes in length, it is the single most memorable song on the album.
The majority of the songs in between, sound very similar. This is not necessarily bad, as they are all very listenable, with experimental elements and soaring vocals. There are few you will find wanting to skip, 'Mnstr' and 'Second Thoughts' are both highlights of the record, being both catchy, and being two of the more standalone tracks.
The story the album supposedly follows, is not dissimilar to the stories told by Green Days '21st Century Breakdown' and MCR's 'Danger Days'. Its all about rebellion against a corrupt government, and taking control over your own life. A good message for the kids right? The only issue is, the story is almost impossible to follow and is incredibly hard to pick out. Crown the Empire should consider dropping the Rock opera approach, and instead create a cohesive album that doesn't follow a story. It will no doubt sound like their previous albums, but perhaps with a less ridiculous album title, and some better artwork.
Recommended Tracks:
Initiation
Millennia
Mnstr
Second Thoughts
Johnny's Rebellion
Also, despite being an obvious filler track, Satellites (Act iii) is a very catchy song, and something different for CTE, and metalcore as a genre.
