I was quite fond of sophomore effort Blind Faith Loyalty (Cruz Del Sur) for all of these reasons, my only complaint pertaining to Chris Renaldi’s one dimensional vocals and what seemed like difficultly in matching the singleness of pattern in his head to that of the song itself. New throat-master Leon Mallah brings a similar sound, but a bit more inflectional variance, and a sense of patterning more fitting to the actual songs of new album Cold Pestilent Hope.

Stylistically, the songs of this third album aren’t a dramatic departure from Blind Faith Loyalty, which demonstrates comfort and confidence in the Crown the Lost approach, rather than lack of creativity. In fact, the more you listen the deeper these songs sink into the psyche, perhaps even more so than Blind Faith Loyalty. That’s certainly the case with the sheer amount of rhythm guitar riff heft and lead guitar fireworks, courtesy of David E. Gehlke (also a long time metal journalist of some acclaim) and Joe Bonaddio, respectively. Between all that guitar tonnage and the tight-ass – “ass” indicative of a greater degree of tightness than usual – rhythm section of drummer Argel Marchelletta and bassist Tim Boyle, as expertly produced with crispness and punch by Dave Watson (Argus, Mantic Ritual, Hero Destroyed), Cold Pestilent Hope begs to be played at high volume, thereby resulting in maximum listener head-crush.

As usual, filler is nowhere to be found. Crown the Lost is a band that understands what it means to be consistent in songwriting. The highlights are many, including a super cool, deliciously taut ‘n crunchy instrumental opener “Pray for Death,” as well as songs like “Separate Blood from Waste,” “Breathe into Emptiness,” “In Defiance of Sanctity” (probably the highlight hook), “Eyes Without Sight,” “Bloodsoaked Serenity,” and a killer six-and-a-half minute title track. Right, that’s most of the album; my point exactly. Another instrumental called “Solitude and Failure” is righteous too, the band possessing a rare ability to make instrumentals just as appealing as the vocal-infused tunes.

There really isn’t anything here about which one could truly bitch. I suppose there is still a wee bit of room to improve in the vocal patterning department, but I can’t say it’s anything I thought much about, particularly after the first couple of plays. The bottom line is that Crown the Lost continue to release quality albums and deftly balance the aggressive with the traditionally melodic without sacrificing the power of either. Good stuff indeed. Check it out and support; it is your duty as people of metal.

Now, this isn’t my normal mug o’ beer – I’m by no means an expert in power or traditional metal – but Blind Faith Loyalty is just screaming quality. The backbone of their traditional metal stylings is beefed up with sharper thrash like riffing courtesy of David E. Gehlke, giving the songs some extra bite than would normally be expected from an album as such. This is accented further by the slick and classy melodic leads of Joe Bonaddio, who also throws down an ample amount of flash and shred in the solo department. The proceedings are stepped up once again by a generally more battering drum performance (for the style) from Kevin Antonacci, displaying an excellent use of kick drum and cymbals. Vocally, Chris Renaldi commands a powerful and soaring clean voice which sits mostly in a mid range, but occasionally hits upon King Diamond like falsettos, which can take some adjusting to if you’re not expecting it (“Drawing the Parallel”, “Privation”). Bonaddio also contributes vocally with occasional growls on “Defame the Hypocrites”, “Finality”, and “Privation”, though these instances are sparse.

As for the songs themselves, there are no full on ballads or balls out thrashers, but rather most of the albums 10 tracks are very well balanced. Touching upon several tempos and a multitude of switch ups between the busy and the more spacious and laid back, the transitions are smooth and never dis-jointed. “Bound to Wrath” is probably the most immediately catchy track with it’s monster hook chorus and thick flowing melodies. Album opener “Defame the Hypocrites” gets a nod for being among the albums hardest hitting numbers, delivering a good deal of speed and punch with it’s thrash-y delivery. “Drawing the Parallel” follows suit in much the same fashion, but also adds an anthemic, soaring chorus. “Hollow Refuge” and the title track both house some of the albums finest guitar work with stout riffs and multiple solos loaded with feel. The former also displays another big, standout chorus while the latter breaks from the speed around the two-thirds mark with an epic-fucking-melody and infectious vocal harmonies.

My only real gripe with the album is the bass work of Shaun Gunter is too low in the mix. Sad, because the bass is usually one of my favorite aspects with this type of metal, but it’s just completely buried by everything else. Outside of this, the production is crisp and clean.

I’m still taken back a bit by how much I enjoy Blind Faith Loyalty – it actually has a strong chance of ending up in my top 25 at years end, which is quite a feat for a release of this ilk for me, considering the obscene amount of releases that I undoubtedly will have heard by then. I fully recommend them to fans of the genre, and I look forward to what they do next.