Album Review: Heavy Crown

Impressions/Thoughts:

Heavy Crown is Last in Line’s debut album and most likely the only album to be released by the group.  I’ll get to the details about why it might be their only album later, but first a little back story onto the band Last in Line.

Last in Line is a band composed of the original Dio band, besides Dio himself since he passed away on May 16^th, 2010. Back in 2012 the band was formed with members Vinny Appice on drums, Jimmy Bain on bass, Vivian Campbell on guitar and Claude Schnell on keyboards, along with new vocalist Andrew Freeman. Before recording the album they decided to drop keyboardist Claude Schnell in 2015, so as to make it more like the original Dio lineup when the band first started in 1982.

Now on to the real question about Heavy Crown. Does it sound like a Dio carbon copy, or does it have its own merit?

The Music:

1) “Devil in Me” is a phenomenal song. It’s good enough to have been on Holy Diver or The Last in Line. This is in essence what a Dio song would sound like without Dio. “Devil in Me” shows that it took more than just RJD (Ronnie James Dio) to make Dio what it was. It has a great riff, great solos, great everything.

2)  “Martyr” starts off with a quick drum fill, then kicks into the fast riff. Another great Hard Rock song, it’s short and sweet.

3) “Starmaker” starts off with a slow groovy opening riff and transition into the song, which has a cool slow tone to it. While certain parts do speed up, and I love the solo in this song, “Starmaker” is just a good heavy song.

4) “Burn This House Down” has a slow riff to it that gives the song its heaviness. I like the buildup the song has, with its slow riff-age, with only the drums and the vocals playing with interactions from the guitars and bass for short intervals. Then it picks up with the whole band playing and goes off into the chorus. It’s just another good song.

5) “I Am Revolution” is one of the faster tracks on the record. Beginning with the riff then off with the guitars when the vocals kick in. The guitars then come back right before the chorus. This song should be a great live staple with the crowd screaming “I, am revolution!”

6) “Blame It on Me” is one of my personal favorites. The riff is unique with a slow steady beat and catchy riff that just makes it really memorable after the first listen and for many more after.

7) “In Flames” is a bonus track, which is another groovy sounding song. It has another memorable chorus and has a solid beat to the song. “In Flames” is another short and sweet song like “Martyr”.

8) “Already Dead”, is what really starts off the second half of the album. This song starts off with an energetic riff and then slows down for the chorus then picks up again. Overall good track and it keep me interested

9) “Curse the Day”, is the actual first track where it was slow and serene. This is a fresh song in comparison with the hard rock songs that came before it.

10) “Orange Glow”, starts off with a different vocal performance than the rest of the album, with a more almost drowsy performance. The vocals then jump into Freeman’s normal vocals for the chorus, then returns to his previous vocal performance. This song shows his range as a singer. I could see a good live song with the crowd screaming “The sky is fallen”, then Freemen finishing the chorus. Good song, but overshadowed by the previous songs on the album.

11) “Heavy Crown”, the title track, is another song that starts off serene. From this point in the album it’s starting to wind down as it nears the end. Then it picks up for an energetic portion then goes back. This is transition in the riff is actually what makes the song memorable. I find that this song is a bit of a grower in that three or four listens should help to fully get this song.

12) “The Sickness”, is the album closer. Starts off with a fade in and ends with a fade out. “The Sickness” is a great song to close the album with. With a great solo by Vivian Campbell, that breathes life into the album for one last time. The whole band comes together to give a good performance. Good song and great closing track.

Verdict:

Many of the songs sound like Dio songs and could have been on those early Dio albums. But that’s too its benefit. Because Dio songs are easy to sing along to with memorable choruses, solos, and reflects the band’s chemistry that come out in the music. The Dio-esque sound remind us of those early Dio years and still give us a fresh felling to the songs. So overall it’s fresh with aftertaste of something familiar.

Last in Line is a great band with a lot of talent behind it. I like Andrew Freeman’s vocals on this album. Last in Line is more than a Dio tribute band, like Dio Disciples. They celebrate the legacy they shared with Ronnie James Dio, while also making something new and cool. Heavy Crown is a great Hark Rock album and I highly recommend you check out this album. Or at the very least a few of the songs. Because this album is way too good not to be heard.

Top 5 Songs:

1) “Devil in Me”

2) “Starmaker”

3) “Blame It on Me”

4) “Curse the Day”

5) “Martyr”

Now for what I was talking about earlier, why this could be Last in Line’s only album. Days after the release of the album, founding member and bassist Jimmy Bain passed away on January 23^rd, 2016 at the age of 68. It’s hard to make a decision on whether to move on or stop after an important member of the band dies. We should hope they do go on with vigor and never forget that member. 

Jimmy Bain (the guy to the far left in the picture) was not a man in the spotlight, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be celebrated. He wrote the opening keyboard part to “Rainbow in the Dark” on Holy Diver! He was on the album Rainbow Rising! His accomplishments are only out shadowed by the great musicians he played with. But just like the man he played with, Ronnie James Dio, he should not be forgotten.

Rest In Peace Jimmy Bain.