Flamecrown - Fire Mountain

Flamecrown is a one man black metal band from Panama, who formed in 2021.  “Fire Mountain,” is the project’s debut album.  The mastermind behind the blackened carnage is none other than Ricardo "Lebzul" Brenes, the musician behind Doomslut, Estrangulación Fecal, Lake of Depression, and Spirit of the Deep Water.

While Ricardo’s background tends to be doom oriented, “Fire Mountain,” forays into blackened territory to offering a different take on extremity. Musically, it is abrasive, sharpened on the edge but just raw enough to have a meaty sound, eschewing a thin small sound that plagues much of black metal.  The vocals are gritty, going for a low snarling growl with a spoken word cadence instead of endless shrieks. I much prefer this take as it makes the atmosphere feel arcade and ancient.

I like the variety offered in the guitars; the songs are very much riff based without the use nonstop tremolo picking. The drums offer more than constant banging and compliment the songs well. The songwriting focuses on building up coherent structures, each song surprisingly catchy. This is an album that embraces its black metal sound but isn't defined by it.

The album opens with “Fire Mountain,” and it does exactly what a title track should: provides an example of the album's overall sound and direction.  The subtle use of keys is welcomed–they aren't over powering but they increase the tension and urgency of the song.  The crisp drums do much of the same while adding a lot of extra bite.The guitar solo is unique, melodic and sweeping–fits perfectly into the fabric of the song.

The album has moments of melancholic textures, a firm hold on the Rapture of the bleak. “Roaring Shores,” is very dark and atmospheric, layers of despondent rage hanging over like storm clouds. The lead guitars use of melody peppers the song with these downtrodden moments while the rhythm machine keeps on rolling, the two styles meeting head on on these brackish waters. The ending of the song is among the album's best moments: the lead guitar wraps the other instruments around its cold embrace.

“Ancestral Bloodline,” consists of a straight up nasty guitar tone and keys that push the song through a harrowing tunnel, where groove batters the senses. The last minute of the song is one of the album's most intense moments: the low blackened growls mix with the drums and keys cresting a tumultuous atmosphere.

The album is one that embraces different elements as needed, not content to only be rely on either atmosphere or metallic elements. Case in point is “Morning Fog” and how it embraces its name….this song is thick with atmosphere, keeping the unseen hidden beyond murky soundscapes. The riffs grow more aggressive as the song moves forward to unleash these hidden apparitions as dangerous entities. 

The groovy elements and catchy vocal lined of “Above The Clouds” is a nice change of pace near the album's end to ensure it remains engaging in its final run. The guitars and bass roll through line a boulder gaining speed to smash through whatever attempts to stop; the song is a battering ram in music format.

The final song, “Evergreen,” has killer riffs, and grim guitar tone with a structure that's centered around double bass and groove laden instruments. Near the end, keys open song to its ending passage of rapid rhythms.

Flamecrown's “Fire Mountain,” is a short but searing ride of black metal that  provides a balanced performance that hits all the sweet spots of the genre without being trapped in them.