Heavy Lies the Crown (CD - 2007)

Personnel: Ray Mazzola (vocals); Mike Facci (guitar); Jeff Facci (drums); Matt Byrne (snare drum).

Additional personnel: Mark 'Bunk Wild' Gumbrecht (guitars); Mike Turner (snare drum); Matt Byrne.

Audio Mixer: Billy Graziadei.

Recording information: Underground Sound Studios.

Photographer: Jeremy Saffer.

Funny how Queens, NY's Full Blown Chaos carry on waving the hardcore flag -- even though all of their albums feature Manowar-style artwork and warfare-themed titles to match, while their songs are, for all intents and purposes, death metal by any other name. Sure enough, incredibly sludgy, distorted guitars and non-stop double bass drum footwork utterly dominate most of the 12 songs contained in 2007's trend-keeping Heavy Lies the Crown. And with vocalist Ray Mazzola's Cookie Monster roars rendering his occasional hardcore-style lyrics largely unintelligible, one would probably have to see the band's buzzcut skinheads live, on-stage, to even connect them with the NYHC scene. Check that: the album's largely undifferentiated -- if intensely performed -- material might also tip listeners off to those ties, since it's only with rare standouts like the title track and the conspicuously melodic "All for Nothing" that Full Blown Chaos leave a truly lasting impression. Otherwise, their songs' wavering, pulverizing intensity offer little more than mindless moshing opportunities. By the time they finally break the mold with the surprising, soaring guitar harmonies heard on "Mojave Red, Pt. 1" ("Pt. 2" being a manic thrash-out that links this tandem to Pantera's similarly structured "Suicide Note, Pts. 1 & 2"), it's a little too late for Heavy Lies the Crown to elevate the band beyond their mid-level popularity. But it shouldn't disappoint the band's faithful either, whoever they are. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia minimize