EPK – Crown of Madness – The Void (EP) (2022)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
For fans of Ulcerate, Vitriol, Gorguts, Fallujah, Black Crown Initiate
EP Title: The Void
Release Date: March 25, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid
Facebook.com/crownofmadnessmetal | Twitter.com/crownofmadness_ | Instagram.com/crownofmadness.metal | YouTube
Crownofmadness.bandcamp.com
“The Manipulated“, turbulence and discord reign supreme, from the booming and battering drumwork and jolting bass-lines to the head-bashing chords and the dissonant, maniacally skittering leads. The feverish, violent derangement in the anti-harmonious but technically proficient music is matched by the rabid ferocity of the growled and screamed vocals. But other unnerving sensations flow through the musical maelstrom as well. Weird, wailing tendrils of melody surface along with musing bass notes and mercurial fretwork maneuvers that seem to channel both bewilderment and a chilling otherworldliness. Eventually the hyper-speed drumming falls silent and resumes only slowly, and the dissonant notes ring and reverberate in ways that sound agonized and dismal, leading into a final sonic paroxysm of harrowing torment. As you’ll see, the words are disturbing as well.” – No Clean Singing
““The Manipulated” stands at the center of the release and acts as the spine on which the other pages turn. The incredible drumming, airy melodies, and intricate guitar work make it one of the most impressive tracks on this EP, and maybe that I have heard this year. Of course, all of these things play right into my personal sensibilities, and as a fan of this set of approaches, Crown of Madness are really nailing it.” – Everything Is Noise
“Dark, sinister and brooding, it’s meloncholia is reminiscent of works from the Nordic countries with a frostbitten quality to it as the pair of vocalists cathartically spill their inner tormented nature with a majestic quality that is strangely mythical. “False God’s Hymn” then shatters that self loathing illusion with a vitriolic violent prayer to a wrathful God to give death amid a bludgeing of heavy gauge riffs. The piano is the only light in the dark World of the blood thirsty Crown Of Madness and if they so desire long may they reign [8/10]” – Metal Noise
“The EPs best tracks are the last 2 with “Anguish” (featuring Kaija Krimson of Anarcheon), a shifty, patient, nightmarish number and closer “False God’s Hymn”, where the piano briefly shows up again to create a haunting duality with the dense discordance perfectly. Clearly, a talented duo, who are also responsible for symphonic black/death metal project Arboreal also, Crown of Madness is a tasty little EP that will hopefully translate into an equally tasty full length sometime soon.” – Teeth of The Divine
“Moments of stunning textural beauty combined with ominous layers of interweaving intricacies in such a short timespan reveal the serious talent that this duo has. The quality of songwriting is astounding for such a newly founded band. Extreme, yet silver-tongued, I should mention that Sunshine’s vocals are phenomenal, her use of growls, screams and shrieks are all well-placed and count as an entirely different instrument. Her guitar work is equally mesmerizing. Heavy, inharmonious yet somehow memorable. Connors drums even on an electric kit sounds, technical, furious, and pummelling. Frenzied fills, unorthodox double bass and blast beats add chaos and structure to the already volatile ambience. You can hear the energy and passion Crown of Madness put into this EP. They just set the bar extremely high for a future full length, and I, for one, can’t wait to hear it. 4.5/5” – Metal Epidemic
“Blackened death with some melodic death stuff going on, mostly harsh and heavy with a kick of melodic black metal coldness. cool stuff.” – The Mosh Pit 89.9 FM (Madison, WI)
“Crown of Madness deliver a beautifully haunting form of dissonant death metal that leaves you teary-eyed at certain moments before dropping a gnarly riff of mosh-inducing goodness on you right after… If you like dissonant death metal then do yourself a favor and give The Void by Crown of Madness a spin. If you also like cute couples stories then even more reason to give a listen!” – Noob Heavy
“Crown of Madness enters the world of death metal with great force and quality, showing us and transmitting its essence to us from the beginning, an EP that leaves us with great expectations and waiting for more future works. Undoubtedly a band to follow if you are a fan of death metal, their debut has exceeded expectations, which makes us imagine that their next works will be exceptional.” – Dark Metal Divas
“Technique sans être trop étouffant, mélodique sans en faire des caisses, brutal et glacial, on obtient là un remarquable premier effort pour ce tout jeune duo venu du froid.” – Eklektik-Rock
L-R – Connor Gordon – Drums, Sunshine Schneider – Vocals / Guitars
Photographer Credit – Savannah Adeline
About:
On a mission to bring beauty into dissonance, the wife and husband duo of vocalist/guitarist Sunshine Schneider and drummer Connor Gordon formed Crown of Madness over the Covid pandemic to write their first EP “The Void”.
Having met through World of Warcraft, having a lifelong love for heavy metal. movies and fantasy games as well as citing interests in games such as Dark Souls and Bloodbourne, their music has been greatly influenced by the dark and fantastical.
“We put a ton of energy and passion into producing this EP by ourselves, making this release an incredible feat for us as producer / musicians and as a couple. It’s amazing to look back on ourselves as teenagers who shared a love for metal, and now being extremely proud of the music we created together. As cliche as this may sound, we want people to love our music as much as we do.” – Crown of Madness
All recordings for The Void were tracked in Sunshine Schneider (Vocals / Guitars) and Connor Gordon (Drums) apartment, utilizing an electric Roland drum kit and a Kemper Profiler. Track four of the EP (Anguish) is about a dream Sunshine had and the featured vocalist, Kaija Krimson (Anarcheon), was in the dream.
“The Void”, due out March 25, 2022 is devastating and atmospheric and recommended for fans of SoulsBourne games and bands such as Ulcerate, Vitriol, and Gorguts.
EP Line Up:
Sunshine Schneider – Vocals / Guitars
Connor Gordon – Drums
Claine Lamb – Guest Piano
Kaija Krimson – Guest Vocals
Live Band Line Up:
Sunshine Schneider – Vocals / Guitars
Connor Gordon – Drums
Sylvain Maltais – Bass
BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:
1. Crown of Madness members met each other on World of Warcraft back in 2008. As young teenagers, Sunshine Schneider (Vocals / Guitars) and Connor Gordon (Drums) shared a love for heavy metal and fantasy games, which is strongly reflected in their music. The duo later got married in 2015 and started writing in a more serious manner starting in 2019.
2. All recordings for The Void were tracked in Sunshine Schneider (Vocals / Guitars) and Connor Gordon (Drums) apartment, utilizing an electric Roland drum kit and a Kemper Profiler.
3. Track four of the EP (Anguish) is about a dream Sunshine had and the featured vocalist, Kaija Krimson (Anarcheon), was in the dream.
[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]
EP Title: The Void
Release Date: March 25, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid
Track Listing:
1. Pale (feat. Claine Lamb) (2:03)
2. Eternal Feeding (2:38)
3. The Manipulated – (4:14)
4. Anguish (feat. Kaija Krimson) (4:31)
5. False God’s Hymn (feat. guest piano Claine Lamb) (4:47)
Total Length: 18:13
EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Sunshine Schneider, Connor Gordon
• All songs written by: Sunshine Schneider, Connor Gordon
• Produced by: Sunshine Schneider, Connor Gordon
• Mixed by: Connor Gordon
• Mastered by: Stu McKillop
• Album Artwork by: Jois Cabe
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
EP Line Up:
Sunshine Schneider – Vocals / Guitars
Connor Gordon – Drums
Claine Lamb – Guest Piano
Kaija Krimson – Guest Vocals
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