There likely isn't any small town with a couple of music venues that doesn't also have a handful of bands whose main gig is "tribute act." The nearest casino to where I'm writing has upcoming shows by Steve Earle and Shaggy, as well as the Alan Jackson Experience and Big Shiny 90s.The appetite for nostalgia seems to be insatiable these days, and though Crown Lands are not ostensibly a Rush cover band, they clearly don't shy away from the comparison. In interviews, vocalist/drummer Cody Bowles and guitarist/bassist/keyboardist Kevin Comeau mention Rush's 2112 and the Yes album Close to the Edge as indelible influences.Their new album follows a couple of throat-clearing instrumental EPs called Ritual I and Ritual II, recorded for their new home base on InsideOut Music. While the Rituals featured mushroom-fuelled meditations on forest sounds and traditional instruments, Apocalypse swings back to the sound the band first announced with their eponymous 2020 debut.It's clear that early-stage Rush is the inspiration here, with a shorter-tracked Side A and single epic-track Side B template. The shorter songs compress the majesty of rock into smaller doses without skimping on the pretence of prog in any way: the slow synthesizer progression of "Proclamation" makes way for the eruption of "Foot Soldiers of the Syndicate," a track that's a kind of slant rhyme to "Finding My Way," the opener of Rush's debut.Likewise the title track that closes the album hits all of its beats without fail: sky-climbing arpeggios, menacing synthesizer crawls, deep-voiced overlord threats and soprano boy-hero elegies; everything's here for the torch-lit adventurer in sound. Through all of the stately 12-string acoustic intros to the wind chime segue-ways, it's clear that Bowles and Comeau have not skipped a page in the guidebook. The duo continue prove themselves wildly adept at conjuring the giants of the genre on Apocalypse, with a technical knowledge and passion for how to apply it precisely for full emotional lift that's inarguable.However, the barrier to embracing it warmly is whether their work exceeds the boundaries of pastiche or homage and enters the realm of originality in voice. For the casino crowd shelling out $178.18 plus tax for Platinum Seating at the Australian Pink Floyd Show, perhaps the chance to see young folk nailing the sounds of the '70s is a fait accompli. For others hoping to hear the vintage style served up in a way that also breaks new ground, Apocalypse might be a bit disappointing — though probably not to the dramatic effect of its title.
Wavelength
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