ALBUM REVIEW: Crowned In Grey Skies – Mace ‘N’ Chain
At the end of 2020, David Nilsson of Swedish death metallers FERAL decided he wanted to pay homage to the ‘true, sword-wielding heavy metal’ that made him fall in love with the genre in the first place. What he formed was MACE ‘N’ CHAIN, a project that exists to promote metal in its purest, most traditional form. On debut record Among Ancient Pillars, Nilsson wrote and recorded all the music. This time around, he’s joined by drummer Joey Mancaruso for Crowned In Grey Skies, released on Friday, June 26th via No Remorse Records.
Not one to make the same album twice, Nilsson has added a couple more strings to MACE ‘N’ CHAIN‘s bow this time around as he looks to flesh it out to a more rounded project. Through Blood Red Veils has a touch of fellow countrymen GHOST in the melodies and guitars, for one, Nilsson‘s distanced, baritone drawl giving off vibes of both Pete Steel and UNTO OTHERS vocalist Gabriel Franco. The Spine of Night has a ‘thrash ‘n’ roll’ approach following a slower, more melodic introduction that allows for more impact when the galloping riff kicks in shortly thereafter, while The Portal Of Power throws another curveball with a more acoustic intro before exploding into full-on speed metal. It’s here that Mancaruso‘s inclusion really shines through: he’s consistently strong throughout, but it’s on this track that he adds just that extra bite to help it stand out.
Where this album falters, though, is that all too often it leans on a singular dimension. Sure, you want to have a consistent foundation to avoid a release that feels scattered and doesn’t flow, but it also helps when it doesn’t all sound exactly the same. Opening track On The Howling Gate isn’t breathtaking by any standard, but it rumbles along at a good pace, with solid, chugging guitars. However, In Open Defiance is a near carbon copy, and at this point we’re only three songs into the record and it’s already getting ploddy. This isn’t helped when Triumphant Return doesn’t live up to its name at all, ending the first half with, at worst, you wondering how much more there is to go. Perhaps too much is expected – MACE ‘N’ CHAIN is, after all, still a side project for Nilsson to flex his trad metal muscles at this stage, and maybe it should be treated as such. On the other hand, it’s never a good look when you can hear the self-indulgence, as is evident on Writhe, Oh Wyrm. It might have been the lead single, but it pales in comparison to the rest.
There are moments that sparkle on Crowned In Grey Skies, but nothing that will have you itching to press play again as the last strains of Risen Above the Light end. A little more variety on the next release will serve David Nilsson good, but as it stands this feels like an album dipping its toes into more exciting waters without ever fully committing.
Rating: 5/10
Crowned In Grey Skies is set for release on June 26th via No Remorse Records.
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