It doesn’t miss a beat from beginning to end, winding its way effortlessly through a vibrant, colourful, and engaging soundscape that twists and turns with the kind of fluidity that you wish all ‘epics’ of this length could muster. Either way, there are echoes of the first song within ‘Pt I’, most notably, the sensationally addictive chorus that builds upon a line uttered in the opener: ‘If life is a wheel, please let it spin’. Recorded at Universal's studio in Toronto with producer David Bottrill (Rush, Muse, Tool, Mastodon), Crown Lands' new album, Fearless, creates a world you want to spend time in. As the vocals start, you are now fully enveloped into this science fiction story of a fantastical indigenous futurism concept.

A power duo from Canada, Crown Lands play a style of progressive rock with classic rock and psychedelic leanings that would normally not even cross my mind to check out. band, Badlands with those high Zach Slaughter (Skullfist in case you need reminding) eighties metal vocals. Through the use of some bold synths at various times, courtesy of Kevin Comeau, who also handles the guitars and bass, there is a certain sci-fi vibe to the music, with layers of effects entering the fray when prudent to do so. The Shadow finally sees the band keeping distance from Rush (mostly) and resembling the Spell/Skullfist sound.Interestingly, for all its upbeat nature and welcoming embrace, the final track, ‘Citadel’ allows the duo to introduce a slightly more sombre, almost melancholy vibe upon which to close things out. Well as a Rush , Zeppelin fan it would be hard not to start thinking this should be good - and like I say it wears it's influences front and centre.

And the lyrics, 'If life is a wheel / Please, let it spin,' has that Neil Peart enthusiasm and optimism for life. Nine tapestries of tone, where atmospheric swathes morph into strident guitars, dextrous polyrhythms and gnarly basslines – Bowles’ strange, beautiful tenor soaring over the top like a bird over a mythological land. Kevin and Cody are definitely among the greatest masters of "old style" rock 'n' roll music I've ever heard: talents that will not go unheard! Not only did it not put me off, but it managed to almost effortlessly pull me under its not inconsiderable spell. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others.

With such a powerful and all-encompassing opening composition, the concern is that maybe the remainder of the album will pale into insignificance. The vibe of the 70s is strong within ‘Dreamer Of The Dawn’, a track that rips along at a lovely pace, led by the drumming of Bowles, accompanied by waves of synths, spritely guitar playing, and a killer chorus that gets immediately lodged in your head. While playing guitar alone and upfront, Kevin is willing to trust us enough to bring us through his journey of enchanting vulnerability. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products.

The song closes out with robust drum fills by Cody Bowles, along with unison hits, into a grand finale of a beautiful chord that rings through to the end. With all the garbage out there it's refreshing to hear some great music again, said the 73 year old rocker. There are a number of standout rockers including “Right Way Back” and the Rush-inspired “Context:Fearless Pt. I was very interested in this band upon hearing their name because I could guess they were Canadian.II," readily conjures the sound and scope of Rush's 2112, the album is clearly the product of 2023, its fantastical, character-driven plotline functioning as a parable for real-world discussions about capitalism, colonization, and Indigenous struggle.