Crown The Lost

Off the heels of 2009’s Blind Faith Loyalty, critically-acclaimed melodic thrash metallers Crown the Lost return with their third album, Cold Pestilent Hope. Recorded during the first half of 2010 at Soundscape Studios in the band’s hometown of Pittsburgh, PA with producer Dave Watson (Argus, Mantic Ritual, Hero Destroyed), Cold Pestilent Hope finds Crown the Lost further exploiting its melodic thrash metal template, and is the logical extension from Blind Faith Loyalty. The album is the first to feature lead singer Leon Mallah, and the rhythm section of Timothy J. Boyle (bass) and Argel Marchelletta (drums), who join founding member/rhythm guitarist David E. Gehlke and lead guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonaddio in the Crown the Lost ranks. “Replacing 3/5’s of our lineup a few months before we went into the studio was quite the risky move,” comments Gehlke. “But Leon, Tim, and Arge are total pros. We’ve had some pretty talented lineups in the past, but this one is far and away our most cohesive and it shows – Cold Pestilent Hope is totally song-oriented and is a real band effort, which was our goal when we started to write the album.” Having assumed vocal duties a mere three months before entering the studio, Mallah (who is a converted guitar player, coincidentally) emerges as the definitive voice for Crown the Lost. Songs like “Breathe Into Emptiness,” “In Defiance of Sanctity” and “Forgotten and Damned” bear the mark of Mallah’s versatile clean vocals, meshing seamlessly with the band’s knifing rhythms and melodic leads. “The fact that Leon was able to assume the vocal position without having any experience whatsoever speaks volumes as to how talented he is,” adds Gehlke. “Some of the stuff he pulled off in the studio just blew us away, and better yet, he can do all of it live without a problem. Plus, Tim is the first ‘actual’ bass player we’ve had on record – Joe did bass on the last two albums. He did a great job of ‘finding the pocket’ with Arge, and it made all of our lives a lot easier. For once, we didn’t feel like killing each other in the studio. Amazing.” The band has already shot a video for “Separate Blood From Waste” and plan to spend the remainder of 2011 engaged in a spate of live activity in support of Cold Pestilent Hope.