Frozen Crown – War Hearts

Written by on 01-12-2024 at 20:00.

Italian power metal incoming! This time it’s Frozen Crown, a female-fronted (and backed) band, rolling out their fifth album. Last year, Call Of The North scored a solid 95 points from my colleague Berry, and the band has since moved up to Napalm Records. So all in all: high expectations for War Hearts.

It has to be said: Giada “Jade” Etro’s vocals are distinctly recognizable and reliable, one of the factors that make Frozen Crown worth listening to. The second factor is their impressively fast tempo, with the ladies keeping up energetically – think Dragonforce speed. The third factor is the typical, neoclassical Italian flair that shines in their guitar work. With these three elements, they’re already off to a strong start. Frozen Crown also has a knack for creating a captivating energy throughout their dynamic arrangements, layered guitar harmonies, lively solos, and relentless double bass drumming. So far, so good!

But where does it fall short? To my humble opinion, the range of the lead vocalist is somewhat limited, with a production that feels overly polished and detached from the rest of the sound. Click “play” on the video above and tell me you don’t get the feeling of listening to two separate tracks. The lead guitar tries to blend the drums, bass, synth, and vocals together, but it doesn’t quite succeed. Yes, it’s cheesy and sticky, but the internal cohesion could be tighter. Just like oil and butter don’t quite mix, even if you make a mess with either on the kitchen floor (and yes, I know, who puts parquet in the kitchen anyway?).

So why does the album still score so well despite this fundamental criticism? Well, because of a track like Steel and Gold. It’s the kind of song that could make even the average listener want to sing along and rock out, air guitar or keytar in hand. I can already picture myself at Alcatraz, singing every word to the sun alongside a lovely blonde. So here’s my invitation to that wonderful person, and to Alcatraz organizers: please book these Italians (or Graspop Metal Meeting, if you must)!

What an eyesore of an album cover, though. Guess it saves me from buying a t-shirt, at least.

Score:

82/100

Label:

Napalm Records, 2024

Tracklisting:

1. War Hearts
2. Steel And Gold
3. To Live To Die
4. Night Of The Wolf
5. On Silver Wings
6. Edge Of Reality
7. Bloodlines
8. I Am The Wind
9. King Of The Sky
10. Ice Dragon

Line-up:

  • Giada “Jade” Etro – Vocals
  • Frederico Mondelli – Vocals, guitars
  • Fabiola Bellemo – Guitars
  • Francesco Zof – Bass
  • Niso Tomasini – Drums
  • Alessia Lanzone – Guitars

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