Crown Lands' 'Apocalypse' - Album Review

With all the current excitement surrounding Rush recently kicking off their first tour in 11 years, and I am looking forward to seeing them live for the first time next year when the tour makes its way to Europe, it has been somewhat easy to forget that the band that many were calling the new Rush two or three years ago recently released a new album. It is not unusual for a new young band to be called 'the new X', especially if there is one very obvious retro influence present, often as a way to attempt to persuade stuck-in-their-ways older fans to try something new. The Canadian duo Crown Lands, though, in some ways surpassed the typical 'the new Rush' tag when I first started hearing about them back in 2023/2024 - when news of the band's second album Fearless made its way over the ocean to the UK. Considering how much hype there was around Fearless for a while, it amazes me that it still has never been officially released physically outside of Canada. Whilst I was familiar with some of the songs due to checking the band out at the time, I did not actually hear Fearless in full until earlier this year - when I was finally able to track down a reasonably priced second-hand CD copy here in the UK. Worldwide re-releases of much of the band's catalogue are needed, then, especially as they have been around since 2015 - and have now released four studio albums, four EPs, and a live album. I had not heard of the band before all of the hype surrounding Fearless - and how much like mid-1970s Rush, especially albums such as 1977's A Farewell to Kings and 1978's Hemispheres, it sounded. Having now heard the whole album a handful of times, not everything sounds like Rush - but there is certainly a strong Rush influence throughout, particularly during the longer numbers. What is perhaps more impressive, though, is that everything on the album was performed by two people: lead vocalist, drummer, and occasional woodwind player Cody Bowles, and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Comeau, who was essentially responsible for everything else. Bowles' high-pitched vocal delivery certainly recalls Rush's Geddy Lee in his younger days - but the progressive arrangements, prominent guitar and bass interplay, and the use of retro keyboard sounds also helped to fuel the Rush comparisons. The duo returned with their third album Ritual I & II last year, but the LP and digital-only release was essentially two ambient and largely instrumental EPs bundled together - which went for a very different sound to the harder, progressive rock of Fearless and before. I have not heard Ritual I & II, but I get the impression it was a deliberate attempt to do something different and cinematic - and that it was not intended to represent where the band would go going forward. Their next 'proper' album, then, was released last month - with Apocalypse feeling like the true follow-up to Fearless. Given that it has international distribution, I was able to get it on release day for a sensible price - and I have been enjoying it over the past few weeks. It certainly builds on the sounds of Fearless - but with more of an old-school approach in terms of album construction. Apocalypse is under 45 minutes long, with the title track being a closing side-long epic. This is a more concise album than Fearless, then, but as it is a concept album is has a pleasing flow - and there is still quite a bit of variety here despite the shorter runtime, which is fitting given the band's progressive influence. Bowles has perhaps diversified a bit vocally here, too. There is still plenty of Lee to be heard - but there are also shades of Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant and Zebra's Randy Jackson.

Zebra actually feel like quite a big influence here, especially their first album, but the dense keyboard textures and retro sci-fi concept keep those Rushisms from Fearless very much flowing throughout Apocalypse. The brief intro piece Proclamation I kicks things off, fading into view with some delicate and distant piano melodies - before retro synths and vocalisations grow in stature, creating a warm and cinematic sound. A synth lead rises through the mix, whilst Bowles starts a marching drum pattern - whilst choral vocals and denser keyboards create a bigger sound. This is one intro piece that could actually be longer and still likely be effective, but it is only just over a minute long - and when Comeau's first bluesy guitar riff kicks in the album transitions into Foot Soldier of the Syndicate. A driving hard rock groove and Bowles' Jackson-esque vocals dominate - whilst the aforementioned guitar riffing and a pulsing bassline provide the main musical depth. Some of the songs on this album feel a bit rawer than the overall core sound of Fearless - and this is one such example. There is much less of a keyboard depth here, although a later bridge section reins the guitars back in to allow for a synth undercurrent. Generally, though, this song is a driving hard rocker. The bluesy main riff is kinetic and full of energy - whilst even sections which feature clean guitar melodies still have a hard rock rhythm section to drive them. The bluesy verses and the proclamation-type chorus are full of powerful musical and vocal moments, then, whilst Comeau also impresses with a couple of guitar solo sections - one of which is more biting and one of which is more atmospheric later on. Through the Looking Glass feels much more atmospheric overall - with an organic, synth-driven sound that very much recalls Led Zeppelin. Bowles' vocal delivery here, especially during the verses, is very Plant-esque, whilst the Rushisms from Fearless largely return during a stratospheric chorus that sees Bowles singing in a very high-pitched manner. Following the barrelling riffing of the previous song, this number feels more deliberate and low-key - with chiming clean guitar melodies backing the verses, dense keyboard arrangements, and a more deliberate drum pattern. The Led Zeppelinisms during the verses really shine, but there is a strong progressive rock feel - largely thanks to some excellent guitar leads during the aforementioned chorus and shifting keyboard tones. There is no real soloing here, but there are instrumental moments that are characterised by subtle synth melodies. Blackstar returns to a harder rock vibe, but the blues muscle of Foot Solider of the Syndicate is replaced with a smoother, more overtly melodic feel. Twin guitar leads open up the song, whilst a choppy drum groove and snappy bass line back them. Bowles returns to a Lee-inspired vocal performance here, and there are slight shades of late 1970s/early 1980s Rush here, albeit with vibes of bands like Thin Lizzy and Foreigner. The guitar playing here, including the main riff that backs the verses, feels quite inspired by the former - whilst there is a slight early AOR edge that reminds me a little of the latter sprinkled throughout. There is a smoothness to the song that is perhaps absent from some of the band's other rockers - alongside a powerful chorus that really grabs hold after a few listens. A really lyrical guitar solo later builds on the main musical motifs of the song - with Comeau showing on this album how varied and melodic his guitar playing can be.

The Fall returns to a heavier sound, with a fuzzy bassline and hard-hitting drumming dominating early on - before a juddering guitar melody that reminds me a little of Pink Floyd's Run Like Hell takes over for a pulsing verse that features Bowles' shaman-like vocals against this slightly funky backdrop. There are strong grooves throughout this song, then, whilst Comeau's bass playing perhaps steals the show despite the prominence of the rhythm guitar chug. Aching, effects-heavy guitar leads help to break up these grooves - but this is largely an energetic, if mid-paced, rocker with a strong sense of melody. The Revenants I is the album's slow number, with the duo here looking back to Led Zeppelin III. Organic acoustic guitar and subtle keyboards are all that back Bowles' voice early on - and they utilise a breathier, more ethereal vocal style than usual. There is a gentle vibe throughout, then, whilst the acoustic guitar strums away in the background. The keyboard tones change as the song moves on, though, with denser textures and more prominent sounds slowly creating a bigger sound - despite ensuring that the organic base remains. There are a few times when it feels as if the song is going to grow in stature and become a bit more of a rocker, but it never does - with each mini crescendo a false dawn. The slow nature of the piece works well, though, and Bowles' later flute additions help the song to fade out nicely. It is left to the 19 minutes of Apocalypse to round things out. Whilst there have been plenty of classic progressive tropes on the album so far, this is the song where they all shine - and the song harks back to the longer cuts on the Fearless. Pulsing synth and guitar melodies dominate early on, whilst Bowles lays down drumming with a mixture of groove and busy tom-work. The lengthy instrumental intro is pretty epic, in the bombastic manner of many side-long epics, and the band's Rush influence is certainly heard during parts of this number - alongside all of the other influences already mentioned. There is a lot of variety here, with a good mix of harder rock sections alongside much more atmospheric moments - some of which recall early Genesis a little. Whilst the song is impressive musically, though, I think Bowles really shines as a vocalist here. There are sections that feature lots of call-and-response vocal moments, and they utilise different styles and textures during these moments - some of which are surprisingly aggressive and sound quite different to anything else on the album. There is also a lot of busy synth work. Comeau of course uses his guitar a lot, but he has also made more room for synths melodies and leads this time - with lots of warm and flashy melodies throughout, often in place of guitar leads. There are still plenty of big guitar moments, though, both in terms of big textures thanks to larger-scale riffing and cinematic clean guitars, but also in terms of leads and solos. A guitar solo section never feels too far away, with cutting leads contrasting nicely against the warmer synth melodies and Bowles' occasional flute. What I like about Crown Lands, too, is that they are a very melodic and lyrical band. Even though this song is long, a lot of thought has been put into the vocal arrangements and lyrics - and this is not just a long vehicle for lots of soloing. The musical passages really help to emphasise the story being told - and the use of musical reprises throughout to return to previous musical motif and melodies gives the song a complete feel. Writing a side-long epic is not easy, but Apocalypse manages to hold the interest - and its overall epic nature ends things on a real high. Given its shorter overall runtime, there is very little fat on this album - and overall I think that it is a very strong and enjoyable effort. It is unashamedly retro, but this is no bad thing - as the songwriting and overall musicianship throughout is excellent. There is a lot to like here for fans of classic progressive rock, and Crown Lands are one of the best new bands doing this kind of sound.

The album was released on 15th May 2026 via InsideOut Music. Below is the band's promotional video for Through the Looking Glass.