The Crown (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1990 in Trollhättan, Sweden |
| Defunct | 2004 |
| Fate | Reunited in 2009 |
| Headquarters | Trollhättan , Sweden |
| Products | Music albums, DVDs |
The Crown is a Swedish band originating from Trollhättan, known for their blend of death metal and thrash metal. Their activity periods include 1990 to 2004 and a reunion starting in 2009.
History
Initially performing under the name Crown of Thorns, they altered their band name to avoid confusion with an American group bearing the same title. Their lyrical content primarily explores death, antireligious sentiments—especially critical of Christianity—and themes of defiance. Musically, they fuse melodic death metal with the intensity of classic death metal and thrash, drawing parallels to early works by bands such as Possessed and the initial era of Sepultura. After disbanding in 2004, members pursued other projects: Lindstrand formed One Man Army and the Undead Quartet, Tervonen started Angel Blake, Sunesson joined Engel, and Olsfelt became part of Stolen Policecar. The Crown regrouped in December 2009 with Jonas Stålhammar, formerly of God Macabre, taking over vocal duties.
On 30 June 2010, The Crown secured a worldwide contract with Century Media Records and subsequently released their eighth studio album, Doomsday King, in September 2010.
Celebrating their 25th anniversary, they unveiled their ninth album, Death Is Not Dead, on 12 January 2015. The album’s lead single "Headhunter" along with its accompanying video premiered on 27 October 2014.
Returning to Metal Blade Records on 28 November 2017, The Crown released the single "Iron Crown" on 12 January 2018 as a precursor to their tenth album, Cobra Speed Venom. This release notably incorporated a string quartet featuring Alexander Bringsoniou on violin, viola, and cello. Their eleventh studio effort, Royal Destroyer, came out on 12 March 2021. The band’s forthcoming album titled Crown of Thorns is planned for release on 11 October 2024.
Musical style
The Crown’s sound merges melodic elements of death metal with aggressive thrash metal. Their debut demo, Forever Heaven Gone, displayed a raw and forceful style characterized by heavy riffs and guttural vocals, aligning more closely with Florida's death metal scene than the traditional Swedish approach exemplified by bands like Entombed and Dismember.
Lyrically, their work addresses topics including blasphemy, mortality, devastation, uprising, warfare, substance use, sexuality, occult practices, and rock'n'roll culture. Jon Kristiansen described them as "a more straightforward and relentless thrash band," whereas Legacy writer Volkmar Weber highlighted the unexpected depth and life experience evident in their songwriting.
Members
Current line-up
- Marko Tervonen – rhythm guitar (1990–2004, 2009–present)
- Johan Lindstrand – vocals (1990–2001, 2002–2004, 2011–present)
- Marcus Sunesson – lead guitar (1993–2004, 2009–2013, 2024–present)
- Mattias Rasmussen – bass (2022–present)
- Mikael Norén – drums (2022–present)
Former members
- Magnus Olsfelt – bass (1990–2004, 2009–2022)
- Janne Saarenpää – drums (1990–2004, 2009–2014)
- Robert Österberg – lead guitar (1990–1993)
- Tomas Lindberg – vocals (2001–2002; died 2025)
- Jonas Stålhammar – vocals (2009–2011)
- Robin Sörqvist – lead guitar (2013–2024)
- Henrik Axelsson – drums (2014–2022)
Timeline
Albums
- The Burning (1995 as Crown of Thorns)
- Eternal Death (1997 as Crown of Thorns)
- Hell Is Here (1999)
- Deathrace King (2000)
- Crowned in Terror (2002)
- Possessed 13 (2003)
- Crowned Unholy (2004)
- Doomsday King (2010)
- Death Is Not Dead (2015)
- Cobra Speed Venom (2018)
- Royal Destroyer (2021)
- Crown of Thorns (2024)
Demos
- Forever Heaven Gone (1993)
- Forget the Light (1994)
DVDs
- The Crown Invades Karlsruhe (2004), professionally filmed concert released alongside the Crowned Unholy album
- 14 Years of No Tomorrow (2006), a collection of three DVDs containing a documentary and live concert footage