Celestial Crown
The Embraced (CD) 2002 Doom Records
This album is not quite a release like most of the others that are subject to our reviews on this website. It starts off with an intro that contains mostly keyboard and spoken word, till guitars turn in at the end, and the voice transforms into a scream. Immediately after that, Celestial Crown reveals its true identity: They are not so much a mournful doom band, but combine slow, atmospheric, doomy parts, with raging symphonic black metal. Try to imagine some haunted slow keyboards, mixed with parts that remind of Cradle of Filth's 'Dusk... and her Embrace' album. I used the reference of Cradle of Filth before to describe this band. For some reason, they hit that same string with me. Is it the keyboards? The low parlando voice? Two songs from their previous album (Invasion of Suicidal Angels') have been re-recorded and are featured as tracks 4 and 5 on this album again. The sound quality is better than on the previous demo-album, which makes me suspect they put more time and efforts into that during these recordings. I'm not always too fond of the vocals on this album, though I must say the grunts and most of the parlando vocals are very well done. Yet most of the time singer Denis uses a more black oriented high pitched scream, something I've gotten bored of lately. Absolutely thrilling are the keyboards though. They manage to play their supporting role very well, but stay on the background where the guitars come in. Also the female vocalist plays a rather minor role. Yet also her singing grew a lot stronger since the previous release. Much more volume, much more stability and certainty in the singing. All in all this is an album that might be liked by the fans of symphonic black metal and music with a haunting, gothic horror atmosphere.	1. With the Autumn Winds 2. Dreams of Elizabeth 3. The Embraced 4. Your Touch 5. Nocturnal Insanity 6. Dark Dance 7. From Dance to Fall 8. Return to the Haunted Shores 9. Epitaph in Two Parts Approx. 52 minutes
Reviewed by: Heiko Isselee
Promo 2004 (CD-R) 2004 None
Celestial Crown hail from Estonia and play a form of melodic doom metal that is well known from other bands that feature a combination of slow to mid-tempo metal and keyboards. In addition the band has multiple types of male vocals and also female vocals. For a promo, this release has a very nice production quality and the instruments all sound good. The music has slower, more mellow parts, and also some heavier parts with growls or screams, while the keyboard piano has a prominent role throughout all the songs. The songs, while not spectacular, are well written, with plenty of twists and variation, although I must say I was not at any point surprised or astounded. Let me summarise by saying that this is a high quality promo, that should certainly be checked out by lovers of easy-going, romantic doom metal. But, with everything said and done, this is a promo, and the overall quality reflects that, as the release on the whole does not reach the level of most established bands in the same vein. I don't fear for the future though. If the band keeps progressing, the upcoming full length album might be a pleasant surprise.	1. Deep Within 2. For The End Of The Days 3. So Let Thy Will Shalt Be 4. Consecration Approx. 23 minutes
Reviewed by: Oscar Strik
A Veiled Empire (CD) 2005 Divenia
This full length album by Estonia's Celestial Crown is the progression from the 'Promo 2004', which I reviewed above. This album is perhaps not the surprise I had predicted, but it can certainly be pleasant for lovers of romantic/symphonic metal. As before, the band plays doom/death mixed with a slight touch of melodic death metal (think Swedish style) and a whole lot of that romantic atmosphere we know from many bands. The vocal department consists of the growls and screams of Denis and the clean vocals of Diana, which makes for a lot a variation. The lyrics deal with sadness, anger and loss, overlaid with a lot of Christian religious imagery. 'A Veiled Empire' is a varied CD, with a lot of changes in tempo and melody, but it is also a bit too long for my taste. There are also a few flaws to be found here and there concerning the female vocals, and not every piece is as interesting as the other. If you're not a lover of this style of music, then don't bother with this band. But, if you are a sucker for romantic atmospherics, varied and catchy songs, give this band a try. They might not be as far as some of the big names in this genre, but they keep improving and are certainly one of the better bands to come out of Estonia.	1. Veil of Eternity 2. Sacrifice in Red 3. Eclipsed My Hope 4. Deep Within 5. Night by the Silent Waters 6. Stone Heart 7. For the End of the Days 8. For One Love 9. So Let Thy Will Shalt Be 10. New Aeon 11. Into Eternity 12. Consecration 13. A Sea Approx. 63 minutes
Reviewed by: Oscar Strik
Suicidal Angels (CD) 2006 Divenia
'Suicidal Angels' is a remastered album, which was originally recorded back in 2000 and 2001, except for "Two For Tragedy", an (actually well done) Nightwish cover, which was done in 2005. The material on this album is comparable to that on the other recent Celestial Crown releases, such as 'A Veiled Empire', which is reviewed above. On the whole, I guess I can say the same about this album as about the last one. It's all pretty well done melodic metal, with a mix of clean male and female vocals, growls and screams. As that description suggests, there's a lot of melody in the songs, which makes it all quite varied. Here and there, there's a bit of doomy atmosphere as well, such as on "A Wish", which is also the best song. Nevertheless, as with the previous releases, it's all not particularly surprising or groundbreaking. Celestial Crown is definitely a strong player on the local (Estonian) scene, but it lacks the originality so far to be able to make it on the international scene. If you're interested in checking out the band, I recommended getting 'A Veilied Empire' first, as it is slightly better.	1. Under the Black Sun 2. Trapped in the Dark 3. Holy Waters 4. Embittered with Grief 5. A Wish 6. Supreme Domination 7. Two for Tragedy 8. Return to the Haunted Shores (Suicidal Mix) Approx. 44 minutes
Reviewed by: Oscar Strik