It seems both tragic and fitting that ‘Heavy Crown’ should be Jimmy Bain’s epitaph. Tragic because the talented bassist was taken way too soon, but fitting because you could ask for few better memorials than this stunning album. Initially a celebration of the material the band recorded with Dio, Last in line expanded in ambition to become a fully-fledged band as the musicians reconnected and incoming singer Andrew Freeman found his feet. The result is the mesmerising eleven-track album (twelve if you buy the deluxe edition) album ‘heavy crown’ which is, without a word of a lie, a heavy rock fan’s wet dream of a record. From the crunchy riffs to the soaring vocals, ‘Heavy crown’ is a throwback to the time when albums like ‘Holy Diver’ and ‘number of the beast’ and ‘British Steel’ ruled the airwaves and, when ‘devil in me’ kicks off, it feels like a celebration of heavy music itself.
The first single and the opening cut on the album, ‘devil in me’ is as concise a statement of intent as you could wish. Captured in perfect clarity by Jeff Pilson, Vivian Campbell lays down titanium riffs over Vinny Appice’s thunderous percussive backdrop only for Andrew Freeman to emerge from the mist and shatter mountain tops with his piercing voice. A love letter to hard rock, it draws upon the legacies of Sabbath, Zeppelin and Purple and packs a formidable punch thanks to the modern, yet resolutely gimmick free production. Vinny announces the arrival of ‘Martyr’ with a drum roll that threatens the foundations before Jimmy (Bain – bass) and Vivian lock into a full-tilt riff that brooks no denial. Operating within familiar hard-rock tropes, it is the absolute joy with which the band lay down their parts that brings the track kicking and screaming to life, and it’s impossible not to be swept up as Vivian peals out yet another earth-shattering solo. Referencing Rainbow’s epic ‘stargazer’, ‘Starmaker’ has a similarly epic feel with stair-stepping riffs and a mid-paced beat from Vinny. Andrew really shines here as he digs deep to deliver a powerful and emotionally-charged vocal, and the chemistry between the four artists is unmistakable as the track builds to its conclusion. Heavy and with a potent groove, ‘Burn this house down’ is the sort of towering hard rock monster that is custom built for the largest festivals and, once again, it is Andrew’s assured performance that stands out, marking him out as one of the great vocalists currently treading the boards today. ‘I am revolution’ is no less impressive and, with a faster pace, there’s a frenetic energy that sends sparks flying as Jimmy Bain’s pummelling bass throbs away beneath a distorted vocal from Andrew. The band as a whole sound super-charged and the juxtaposition between the syrupy groove of ‘burn this house down’ and the full-throttle white-out of ‘I am revolution’ is enough to have listener’s head-banging until their necks snap. ‘
‘Blame it on me’ sees things take a Sabbath turn as the band lay down the sort of mid-paced, doom-infused metal that sets the flesh crawling as Andrew intones “everybody wants to play the victim…” with a sinister drawl that stands at odds with his otherworldly roar found elsewhere. Already dead’ kicks off the second half of the record with a tried-and-tested hard rock riff that recalls classic Priest. Slowing the pace is the subtle ‘curse the day’, a power-ballad that satisfies on a number of levels from the ubiquitously excellent musicianship to the close harmonies that signal the shift to the blazing chorus. It’s back to full-on hard rock for the chugging, metal-plated beast that is ‘orange glow’. With a touch of Soundgarden in the phased, vaguely psychedelic vocal, ‘orange glow’ is a highlight, only for the dark spirit of the title track to draw the listener even further in. The album’s final track, ‘the sickness’, fades up as the band build to the sonic fury of the central riff, Vivian soloing wildly over the intro, and it’s another hard rock monster that the band deliver, even as the album draws to a close. It’s a strong final piece that leaves the listener yearning for more, and it provides the perfect finishing touch to an album that does not lose its way once.
Jimmy Bain’s passing is a tragedy, but if there is to be any comfort in his loss, it is that his final album is an absolute belter, a classic in the making created for the love and joy of music by some of the foremost players in hard rock. Incoming singer Andrew Freeman is a revelation, a leather-lunged master of his art whose authoritative tones bring great depth to an already impressive album and the remaining members have enhanced their already impressive legacy with this stunning outing. If you love hard rock, then ‘heavy crown’ is an essential addition to your collection, not only is it packed with classic, timeless, hard rock tunes, but it is also the perfect way to say goodbye to a much loved bassist.
