The Snake The Cross The Crown
Mander Salis
Equal Vision
It would appear that Equal Vision is attempting to broaden its horizons with the recently signed The Snake The Cross The Crown, as these guys sound very little like anything ever released on that label. They make majestic sounding art rock, in the vein of Radiohead, Coldplay, Celebrity and Muse.
Mander Salis is stunning. These guys rock out at one instance, as exampled on the pounding “Gates of Dis,” and then shift gears and styles with little effort. “On The Threshold of Eternity” is an acoustic guitar based country-western tune that showcases vocalist Carl Marshall’s warm tone and incredible vocal range. It’s a genuine piece of country twang, in an age when many bands attempt to do the same only to end up sounding contrived. “The Sun Tells the Moon” sounds like it could have been an unused track from Radiohead’s Hail to the Theif sessions; Marshall’s vocals soar in both falsetto and baritone, making me get goose bumps with each building crescendo of distorted guitars and exploding drums. It’s the best Radiohead song never actually written by Radiohead.
“The Laughing Man” demonstrates the band’s appreciation for math-rock and pianos, culminating in a rather bizarre, swaying song. “Echolalia” combines the band’s love of all things distorted and muddy, powerful drums and catchy melodies. It is on this track that The Snake The Cross The Crown show us how truly talented they are. It builds in much the same way that Muse’s songs do, and it, like many others here, offers a podium upon which Marshall can show his amazing vocal skills!
I am a sucker for the majestic and grandiose, and The Snake The Cross The Crown are these things, and much more.
Equal Vision: http://www.equalvision.com
