ALBUM REVIEW: The Crowning Of The Fire King – Sorcerer

October 27, 2017 Jordan McEvoy

SORCERER have quite the history. Originally formed in 1988, the doom group have changed band members a number of times, with vocalist Anders Engberg being one of the consistent founding members. Now, after a number of years working on new material, the Swedish outfit have returned with The Crowning Of The Fire King, and we gave it a spin to see how it fares up against the rest of their discography.

The album cracks open with Sirens, which immediately suggests that SORCERER have been busy working on their sound and perfecting it, which has paid off at first glance. An uproar of a chorus from Anders makes Sirens an excellent opener to the record, and is only the beginning of what will turn out to be an interesting and dynamic record. Abandoned By The Gods is one of the most intriguing and impressive tracks on The Crowning Of The Fire King, as it opens with a Middle Eastern-sounding hook before Anders’ vocals explode in. This track also demonstrates some of Anders’ strongest vocal performance, and is easily one of the most appealing aspects of SORCERER. The chorus of Abandoned By The Gods will stick in your head for a long time, as its uplifting nature over simple but strong riffs from guitarists Kristian Niemann and Peter Hallgren send shivers down your spine.

The standout track on this record, however, is The Devil’s Incubus, which manages to blend the complexities of doom and epic metal into one glorious anthem that really makes you appreciate SORCERER. To think the band have jumped from demons in the late 80s to studio albums of this quality after a 15 year gap is mesmerising and inspiring, and just showcases the incredible musicianship this band possesses. Nattvaka is a simultaneously relaxing yet ominous break between the epic doom offered from SORCERER, and splits the album nicely.

One of the best things about The Crowning Of The Fire King is how gelled together the band sound on this record. Something in the studio has clicked, and the band sound stronger and tighter than ever before. Their combination of epic and heavy metal on a foundation of doom works elegantly on The Crowning Of The Fire King, and every track is a demonstration of the band’s sheer talent. What is also interesting is how each track on the record lasts between six and ten minutes, however the hour-long journey SORCERER have offered seems to fly by. Whereas traditional doom records can occasionally drone on and become boring, the blends of musical styles present in SORCERER’s new record take away any potential dullness, and instead leave you with an immersive and varied listen.

SORCERER have embarked on an incredible journey with The Crowning Of The Fire King. After years of working on and developing their sound, they have come out with an album that could quite possibly make its way onto a number of people’s album of the year lists. After seemingly finding themselves with The Crowning Of The Fire King, we are very excited to see what SORCERER concoct next.

Rating: 9/10