The Fallen King

The Fallen King, released on 9 February 2018, is the debut on which Frozen Crown showed vividly the speed, twin guitars and fantasy they had from the start. Federico Mondelli had founded the band in Milan the year before. He writes the songs, plays guitar and keyboards and sings; alongside him is lead vocalist Giada “Jade” Etro. The two are also married. Etro's soaring female voice and Mondelli's growls and clean male lines form a contrast that widens each song's expression. From the opening “Fail No More” into “Kings” and “I Am the Tyrant,” fast beats are tied straight to clear choruses. Subjects suggesting Norse myth and medieval lore run throughout, as in “The Shieldmaiden” and “Queen of Blades.” The label is Scarlet Records. The arrangements are young and full of momentum — power metal that delivers exhilaration first and detail second. A debut that loves the traditional form while making the band's potential plain. Etro is also a dental school graduate and a practising orthodontist, running clinic and music in parallel. The tale of the kings and the tyrant here would be picked up again eight years later, on the sixth album.