For those readers knowledgeable about the Swedish melodic rock scene, the line-up of Crowne will look distinctly familiar. There’s Alexander Strandell from Art Nation, Lionville and Nitrate (a busy man – he is even credited with the Crowne promo photo!), Love Magnusson from Dynazty, ex-Poodles drummer Christian Lundqvist, Jona Tee of H.E.A.T fame, and finally the bassist of Europe, John Leven. All established artists, and as well as sharing a nationality, they also share a love for ‘80s inspired melodic rock which makes Crowne such a promising project. Wonderland is their third release in four years – which would be considered very productive for a full-time band, so how they fit this in between their other engagements is a bit of a miracle. It’s perhaps a sign of the positive chemistry amongst the band members that they come together so frequently, producing consistently high-quality material.
The title track kicks off proceedings here without any introductory build-up – launching straight into an earworm of a chorus melody before a galloping rhythm takes over for the verses. It’s over in less than three minutes but does its job of grabbing the listeners attention. Waiting For You continues in a similar energetic vein, with Tee’s keyboards as the main driving force and perhaps with a touch of Bon Jovi to Strandell’s rolling vocal line. Eye Of The Oracle is more of a mid-paced number, again with a strong keyboard theme and a familiar sounding chorus (maybe with a touch of that other eye, from the tiger?)
This style of music can be predictable and can begin to drag quite easily but Crowne avoid this partly due to the irresistible hook lines that abound in this album, and partly due to the sheer conciseness of the songs. There is absolutely no fluff here, and a glance at the track lengths reveals that only one track breaks the four-minute barrier. A couple of weaker tracks therefore pass by without affecting the overall enjoyment. Timing Is Right is a fairly anonymous number that mixes breakneck speed and melody in the style typical of Italian power metal bands. The attempt at a phone-waving arena anthem, Goodbye, is also a little bland. The poorest track to these ears is Warlords Of the North, which was the one I was most curious about since it’s co-written by Saxon frontman Biff Byford. It’s the slowest track on the album and comes across a bit leaden and out of character for the Swedes.
Just as it opened strongly, Wonderland wraps up very well too. Love They Enemy is another excellent keyboard-driven number, with the unusual texture of a (real) piano added, Legacy leans towards a more modern metal sound and is another powerful number. The irresistible Hearts Collide returns to the galloping rhythms of the title track and The Fall closes the album with another classy anthem.
Wonderland is an album made by five accomplished musicians at the top of their game. It’s impeccably put together and has a raft of memorable tracks. If I had to find fault, then it’s in the lack of ambition. If you are familiar with Crowne’s previous two albums then there’ll be absolutely no surprises in this set of new songs. There are some cracking tracks on Wonderland but you could almost hit the pause button thirty seconds into any song and then sing the rest of the three minutes on your own. It’s safe and predictable, and for musicians of this level I’d have appreciated seeing them step out of their comfort zone and taking a few more risks.
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