One of the many fascinating aspects of Heavy Metal is the fact that the album cover alone often gives a clue as to the band’s style. It comes as little surprise, at least to me, that the Spanish band CRIMSON COVEN are following the path of classic Heavy / Epic Metal. MANOWAR was the first band that came to mind. The opener ‘Crimson Coven’ sounds, at least at the beginning, suspiciously like MANOWAR’s ‘The Oath’. Every time I listened to CRIMSON COVEN’s debut I was expecting lines like “Three sons have I…”. But it is not just at that moment. Overall the early MANOWAR of the mid-’80s serve as inspiration. Epic melodies, powerful and striking guitar riffs and finely crafted, melodic solos define the sound of “I – The Forge” which is complemented by clear, expressive vocals that lend the songs an unmistakable intensity and majesty. In terms of speed the spectrum ranges from slow, with a compelling vibe, to hard-hitting mid-tempo tracks, with an irresistible groove. Diverse, dynamic songwriting creates exciting narrative arcs, surprising twists and a successful balance between solemn chanting, metallic heaviness and melodic catchiness. CRIMSON COVEN have chosen “Spell-Forged Heavy Metal” as the name for their style and that’s another fascinating aspect – new terminology is constantly emerging. At least the band shows more creativity here than with the pseudonyms, consisting of just a single letter. But that is really all I have to criticize about this exquisite album. More information can be found here www.instagram.com/crimsoncovenband and here www.facebook.com/cruzdelsurmusic