Frozen Crown's 'The Legend of the Six Kings' - Album Review

Whilst it feels like a little while since I last reviewed some proper power metal, the past few weeks have been rather filled with the stuff. The weekend prior to the one just gone I caught Kamelot live in London, with a strong power metal bill beneath them; whilst the weekend before I saw Beast in Black kick off their latest tour - also in London and also with a strong power metal bill. Sonata Arctica are power metal legends, so it was strange to see them supporting Beast in Black - but opening the night were Frozen Crown from Italy, a six-piece power metal band that have been going for just under a decade having formed back in 2017. Whilst my finger might not quite be on the power metal pulse in the manner that it once was, Frozen Crown are a band that I have been keeping a bit of an eye on for a couple of years - having essentially discovered them in 2024 when I saw them, funnily enough, opening for Kamelot. What goes around comes around it seems - and, in fact, Frozen Crown had not long wrapped up a tour supporting Kamelot in America before jumping on Beast in Black's European tour. Frozen Crown never really seem to stop it seems, and that also applies to the writing and recording of new material - as, last month, they released their sixth studio album of their nine year run. The Legend of the Six Kings is the band's first album since 2024's War Hearts - and their second on a big-name label, having previously upgraded to Napalm Records from power metal specialists Scarlet Records. Despite enjoying the couple of Frozen Crown albums I heard in the run-up to that 2024 Kamelot show, as well as the band's set itself, I had rarely given them much thought since that gig. I fully intended to do something of a deep dive, but it just never happened - so I do not think that I actually got around to listening to War Hearts until earlier this year. Given that I knew I would be seeing them with Beast in Black, though, I made more of an effort with The Legend of the Six Kings - which I listened to a few times before the recent gig. Sadly, due to how long it took the venue to let people in, I ended up missing some of the band's set - as they hit the stage only 15 minutes after the venue opened. There were plenty of people behind me in the queue who likely missed a lot more, too, but I was still impressed by the band live again - and they played a few songs from this latest album that night. It is the band's first album with their current line-up, meaning that guitarist Alexandra Lioness (Jenner; Sigma Epsilon; Chaos Rising), who joined the band last year replacing Fabiola Bellomo, makes her debut in the studio with Frozen Crown here. Built as ever around the songwriting of guitarist and bandleader Federico Mondelli and the vocal power of frontwoman Giada Etro, their two founding members and driving forces, the band's snappy, up-tempo power metal sound is very much intact as ever. This is not an album that does anything hugely differently compared to their other work but, like War Hearts, it is perhaps a more digestible length overall at 36 minutes long - in contrast to some of their much longer, earlier albums. Mondelli is responsible for most of the album's guitar and keyboard playing as is typical, although both Lioness and drummer Niso Tomasini contributed some guitar solos - with the latter also stepping up as a secondary songwriter and keyboard player here alongside Mondelli. Strangely, despite being credited on the album and touring with the band, guitarist Alessia Lanzone did not contribute to the album at all. Bassist Francesco Zof, who contrastingly is not currently touring with the band, rounds out the line-up.

As such, The Legend of the Six Kings is easily the band's most diverse album yet from a songwriting perspective, with both Etro and Tomasini receiving credits alongside Mondelli - as well as the presence of a cover on the album. It is good to see others step up, which will likely help to keep Frozen Crown sounding fresh going forward, but opener Lightning in the Sky is very much representative of the band's core sound. There is no hanging around, either, as, following a very brief guitar flourish, Etro sings a simplified version of the song's chorus - before a harmony guitar riffs takes over. As mentioned, this is a pretty short album overall, and the songs are mostly on the short side, too. There is very little fat here, then, and the songs are all based around strong hooks - mostly vocally. Etro is easily one of the band's main USPs. Her powerful, yet non-operatic, vocals are very easy on the ear - and she seems to be able to whip up strong melodies with ease. The fast-paced, double bass drum-led verses are pretty straight forward here, but her vocals elevate them - before the expanded chorus features bigger vocal harmonies and a slightly slower pace overall. The chorus sticks in the brain from the off, and is very much a typical power metal affair. A lengthy solo section later follows, with one of the solos taken by Lioness - stamping her guitar prowess on the band from the off. Who Wants to Burn in Heaven follows, with the song being one of the ones which stood out from the off - and it was also one that stood out live a couple of weeks ago. Somewhat more majestic-sounding than the opening song, the pace is somewhat reined in here - with more of a crunching, mid-paced feel, thanks to chugging rhythm guitars and a much more prominent keyboard approach. The dramatic keyboards add some slightly symphonic stabs at times, but the guitars always dominate - with more hooky harmony leads throughout the song, despite the crunch and anthemic nature of the verses. Vocally, too, the song is a bit more involved. Etro powers through as ever, with the verses sounding especially anthemic thanks to her melodies, but choral harmonies are utilised throughout both the verses and the chorus - sometimes in a bit of a call-and-response approach for effect. A somewhat heavier breakdown, with some more modern-sounding riffing, later gives the song a bit of a kick - before a slow-burning guitar solo keeps the melodies and anthemic nature of the song moving. This is followed by a bridge section which is led vocally by Mondelli, before a final chorus rounds out the song nicely. Reborn somewhat picks up the pace again, but the up-tempo single never feels as fast as the opening cut - sitting somewhere in between the two previous songs pace-wise. There is more of an urgency compared to the previous song, though, with more of an upbeat, chugging rhythm - whilst Tomasini takes a few opportunities to include some double bass drum flourishes. Building on the anthemic nature of the previous song, though, the chorus is somewhat similar - with a call-and-response vocal approach between the choir and Etro. The former sings some epic, wordless vocal harmonies, whilst the latter sings the main lyrics - and the wordless vocal approach meant that the song was another live highlight recently. Mondelli and Lioness later trade guitar solos, which are perhaps less shreddy than the band often are, with the song overall another big highlight for me.

The One picks up the pace again, returning to something more akin to the double bass drum-led sound of the opening cut. There is a strong headbanging groove throughout, with the constant footwork of Tomasini driving everything, conjuring up a powerful energy despite the song never operating at a true break-neck speed. Frozen Crown often rein things in somewhat compared to many other power metal bands. I generally welcome this, as it allows Etro's vocals more space to breathe. She is the sort of singer that really needs to shine, and the band's arrangements generally allow for such - with this song being a good example whilst still picking up the pace. There are actually some pretty fast drum beats later on, but they back some of the guitar solo sections, meaning that the core song retains a more typical pace - which allows the hooks to shine. The chorus is another strong one, with quite a big choral approach at times, with the song being another that sticks in the brain. A cover of the Goo Goo Dolls' Iris follows, with shimmering synths backing the early verses - with guitar rhythms popping in and out. The verses sound quite different to Frozen Crown's usual approach, with keyboards playing more of a role - and the drums often dropping away to either provide a simple hi-hat beat or something more percussive. Mondelli sings some of the second verse, too, but the chorus is more typical - with fast double bass drumming and a much more powerful Etro vocal. The band's cover of Iris is certainly not a bad version, and what they have done with it is quite fun, especially during Mondelli's blazing guitar solos, but I just worry that they will now be saddled with it for life. This often happens when bands record something of a novelty cover, and I do not want Frozen Crown to be reduced to this song that perhaps makes it a bit further beyond the band's typical fanbase. Winter Hearts is one of the songs here co-written by Tomasini, and he contributes extra guitars throughout - as well as the song's solo. Despite Mondelli having less to do with this one, the song is very much within the band's core sound. It picks up the pace, delivering a powerful, speedy vibe - and there is a bit of a heavier feel throughout. The drums feel a little punchier here, and the guitar riffing has plenty of bite - with some harmony guitar melodies throughout coming from the melodic death metal world. Mondelli also shares the vocals with Etro - where he adds some harsh vocals to parts of the some of the verses, adding to the heavier feel. The band have done songs like this before, though, and I do like it when they get a little heavier for a while - especially when that sound is contrasted by a powerful, soaring chorus as it is here. Tomasini's guitar solo is not as busy as the band's usual approach, but it is packed full of melody - with the last few bars sitting nicely behind some more harsh vocals. River of Time is another of Tomasini's compositions and, given that Etro also wrote the lyrics, it may be the first Frozen Crown song, not including covers, not to be at least co-written by Mondelli. Despite a pretty fast-paced intro, the song is a bit more mid-paced and atmospheric. Tomasini's keyboards are a bit more prevalent throughout, especially during the verses. They build nicely towards the song's chorus, too, with Etro singing in a slightly amped-up, folky manner during the verses - with strong melodies cutting through the synths. The faster pace from the song's intro returns for the chorus, which is a bit more typically hard-driving in the band's usual fashion - with high-octane vocals replacing the folky approach. Mondelli's guitar solo is similarly folky, too, with the whole song coming together nicely.

The melodic death metal guitar vibes heard earlier in the album return in a big way during Through the Fire. A small, opening drum barrage soon gives way to some harmony guitars which are so early In Flames-coded I would not be surprised if Jesper Strömblad had lent the band the riff. The band rarely crosses over into extreme metal here, but the song is one of the tougher ones overall in my opinion. There is plenty of crunch here thanks to the plentiful rhythm guitars throughout - and the keyboards very much take a back seat this time. Etro also sounds very powerful throughout, with less of an emphasis on big choral harmonies and more of a focus on pure vocal power. This suits the vibe of the song really well, though, and Lioness' guitar solo builds on the song's opening melodies nicely - creating a really melodic solo that sticks in the brain. To the Stars reins in the pace, going for more of a crunching mid-paced feel. Some harmony guitars open up the song as is often the case on this album, but the song overall is much more about guitar rhythms and a chugging pace rather than big leads. There are solos later on which should be expected, but overall this song just feels like much more of a mid-paced headbanger. The crunch of the guitars, the punch of the drums, and the ever-powerful vocals of Etro really come together here to create something big and metallic-sounding - whilst there are some more potent riffs that kick in towards the end of the song, acting as something of a bridge before a final chorus. There are stronger choruses here, but the song works well as it is - presenting something a bit heavier overall whilst still sounding very much power metal at heart. The album then comes to a close with its title track, the most ambitious and diverse piece here. It opens with some pretty typical guitar melodies, but takes a left turn as soon as the first verse kicks in as Mondelli opens things up with some harsh vocals. He has always sparingly acted as a second lead vocalist for the band, adding both clean and harsh vocals, but this song may be his most prominent so far as a vocalist - at least as far as I recall. He mostly adds harsh vocals here, with the verses going back and forth between him and Etro, but he also adds some soaring cleans at times - harmonising well with Etro to create a powerful sound. Some of the heavier vibes from earlier in the album are revisited here, too. Some of Tomasini's most intense drumming is also here, especially beneath Mondelli's harsh vocals. There are some moments here that are actually quite close to sounding like true melodic death metal, but the band always seem to pull back from the brink of that sound at the right time to return to a more familiar power metal approach - with the duelling clean and harsh vocals allowing for this dichotomy. Occasional blast beats, numerous guitar riffs, and some of the biggest, shreddiest solos on the album all come together to make the song a true epic - even if some power metal purists will find the extreme metal trappings too much. I love their additions, though, and the song has been one that has grown on me over repeated listens to the album. It is the longest song here but it is not exactly long by any meaningful definition - although it sounds epic and sprawling compared to everything else here. As such, it works well as a closing number - cramming a lot into one final effort. Overall, then, The Legend of the Six Kings is a very strong album from the Italian band, and possibly the album from Frozen Crown that I have enjoyed the most to date - albeit it is the only one I have truly digested. I really do need to do that deep dive into the band's catalogue, as their brand of power metal is very easy on the ear - and there is a lot to replay value in this album, despite its short length.

The album was released on 2nd October 2026 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Who Wants to Burn in Heaven.