CROWN THE LOST is one of those bands that really could be great, but just isn't yet. Musically, there is no denying that they are one of the better technical, tight Thrash-like metal bands out there. For comparison, think NEVERMORE. Song after song, they are tighter and far more skilled than most of the bands that are out there. That being said, they really are pulled away from greatness by their vocalist. It's not that he can't sing, either. He can. He just is the proverbial round peg for the square hole. It's too bad too, because an instrumental version of "Blind Faith Loyalty" would probably stay in my CD player for a very long time.

To be completely fair here, I'm not saying that vocalist Chris Renaldi can't sing. To the contrary, he would be great fronting a band who's musical style follows a more progressive format; someone like EVERGREY, SYMPHONY X or ARCHETYPE. His clean vocal is powerful and rich on songs like "Dreaming In Reverse"; the one song that also features music that closely fits his style. The problem though is that the rest of the album feels completely disjointed by Renaldi's voice. Songs like "Finality" are excellent musically. It's somewhat odd-timing and clean mix on the drumming accompaniments are great, and the riffs just blast away when they come in. Unfortunately though, Renaldi's straining vocals feel grossly out of place. He's the equivalent of a homeless guy taking his turn walking down the runway at a fashion show. It simply isn't working.

This being said though, there is no denying that CROWN THE LOST has a lot of musical talent in them. Guitarist Joe Bonaddio and his rhythm playing counterpart David Gehlke perform with a tightness that's regularly reserved for guys like Loomis, Drover, or Hanneman. It's razor sharp, big in sound, yet disciplined enough to not launch into unnecessary noodling that takes away from the song. Hearing songs like the SLAYER-esque "Hollow Refuge" lets you know that these guitarists can play. It also tells you that drummer Kevin Antonacci is a monster at keeping things well paced and driving forward. While it's not so much an element of his playing, he's been recorded especially well here, which adds to the overall listening experience.

Sadly, the vocals brought this band to the average level for me. CROWN THE LOST could potentially be a band that has big things happen for them in the future, but it's doubtful it will start until they find a singer that matches their music. Good stuff musically, and the singer is good at what he does. Unfortunately, the two elements just don't mix well.