Artist: Black Corona
Album: The Mission
Genre: Melodic Death Metal / Metalcore
Country: Innsbruck, Austria
Release Date: 21st of May
Released via Art Gates Records
Cover Artwork © Art Gates Records, 2020
Those who like genre classics such as Caliban, Mnemic and Killswitch Engage can now find a worthy successor. Coming from Innsbruck (Tyrol) and founded in 2017 (they could have never guessed the connection between their name and the current situation obviously), Black Corona have now found their way under the flag of Art Gates Records presenting us vocalist and guitarist Mario Fetz (STEINVATER), guitarist Herbert Sopracolle (LOST DREAMS), bassist Stefan Jerabek and drummer Fabian Straue (Eden’s Decay), a really well-produced harmonious record inspired by various elements from genres such as Black, Death and Groove Metal packed into a frame of strong Melodic Death Metal that made love with Metalcore.
The cover art by Emanuel Pilcher, a bit sterile but still very nicely implemented, shows us the entry into a dark, complex, emotional world in which the sun shines darker than ours now. On The Mission, the admirable voice of Mario opens up straight into our faces and Herbert‘s complex riffing goes along with Stefan‘s groove work extremely well, as with the professional drumming techniques of Fabian. Black Corona is very professionally tuned and we are surprisingly provided with an overall package that is second to none. I just recently read about a tour in 2019 called “TRIFORCE” with Black Corona, Black Inhale and Black Coven which means Art Gates Records pounced on this band and has now shown true taste. This stable record serves groovy Melodic Death Metal / Metalcore crossover in an entertaining manner that sounds quite convincing in its entirety. In my opinion, the quality of Black Corona is on a par with bands like Mnemic, Caliban or Killswitch Engage which were very present in my youth and exactly now, 15 years later, Black Corona do the same with The Mission. Mario demonstrates true ability to clearly express different emotions with his strong voice and supported by the band they generate to build up, maintain and play with or simply smash their way through melancholic, profound mood.
That packing intro in “Resolution” followed with a break and the distorted guitars including the voice of the singer is smashing! I am captivated by a pounding drummer that gets the intense atmosphere with his continous double-bass and pointedly set transitions within the first half. From the second half on, the band works in a wonderfully relieving counterpart to the first half and an almost dreamy solo closes with drama to the final. Amazing song! It got me from the beginning to the end and I’m sure some of you will like it a lot, too. On the hard and attacking start of “Flow” that is still building up strength, drummer Fabian proves great techniques with the mood to play and in handling this diversity, he really sweeps you away. Each combination, whether in text or in game that this band playfully presents, is very professionally coordinated and successful. The song progression
is coherent and leaves striking, clear impressions through different emphasis of individual riffs, melodies, passages and themes.
You are able to continuously rush through the album up and down and it is a nice alternative to the releases for those listeners who aim for tasteless and biased combinations of various genres. The feeling that the band gives me is something familiar and yet new which forces me to listen to it several times to constantly notice the wide diversity of the production, as like the concept of The Mission. It always strikes me how Black Corona deal with hardness and it needs to be clearly expressed that this band convinces with their lyrics, riffs and melodies. Mixed with hard transitions that are build up very well and maintain an emotion that drives me to walk a path that is destined for me – a mission.
Black Corona presents a lot of know-how and shows personality on many elements that makes it very engaging to listen. Great band, great production, watch their videos on YouTube, get to know them in action and you will be respectful and entertained. Greetings to Tyrol and keep it up, it sounds good! Support them with a small amount!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
8/10
Favorite Tracks:
“Resolution” – the distorted guitar, the endurance of drummer Fabian just great! got an enormous earworm of the first half!
“Apatheon” – Groovy, melancolic, the choice of what the drummer has played, was perfect. love that rythym.
As usual, we will add the favorite track(s) to our Transcended Review Playlist 2020.
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