Crowned In Grey Skies Review: Trad Metal With a Sword—and One Flat Tire

Cr Crowned In Grey Skies is trad metal on purpose: big riffs, baritone grit, and stubborn pacing. It swings hard, then repeats itself like it dares you to notice.

A record that shows up with a mission, not a mood

Some albums want to be loved. Crowned In Grey Skies mostly wants to be respected, like it’s standing there in a dented breastplate waiting for you to admit heavy metal used to hit different.

This is MACE ‘N’ CHAIN, built around David Nilsson (also of Swedish death metallers FERAL) and his very clear itch to honor the “true, sword-wielding heavy metal” that got him hooked in the first place. And yeah—this album doesn’t just reference tradition. It acts like tradition is the only court that matters.

Back on the debut Among Ancient Pillars, Nilsson wrote and recorded everything himself. Here, he brings in drummer Joey Mancaruso, and that shift matters more than the press-release version of it. You can hear a second personality enter the room: not in the songwriting, exactly, but in the way the songs get shoved forward by real muscle instead of careful assembly.

Nilsson isn’t repeating himself—he’s widening the frame (a bit)

Moving from the debut into Crowned In Grey Skies, the big change is that Nilsson seems determined not to make the same album twice. That sounds noble, but it also feels slightly tactical—like he knows “pure trad” can turn into wallpaper if he doesn’t sneak in new colors.

The first place you catch that is “Through Blood Red Veils.” The melodies and guitars carry a faint glow of fellow countrymen GHOST—not in the pop-theater sense, but in that slick, memorable way the guitar lines tilt toward hooks instead of just charging straight ahead. Nilsson’s vocal choice is part of the trick too: that distanced baritone drawl reads like a blend of Pete Steel swagger and the cooler, post-goth edge you’d associate with UNTO OTHERS vocalist Gabriel Franco. It’s not cosplay; it’s a deliberate filter. And it’s an arguable move—some people are going to want this band to sound less “performed” and more blood-and-dirt.

Then there’s “The Spine of Night,” which opens slower and more melodic—almost like it’s making sure you’re paying attention—before it snaps into a thrash ‘n’ roll gallop. That delayed impact is smart, and I’ll go further: the galloping riff hits harder because the intro holds it back. Anyone who says intros are wasted time should sit with that moment.

And “The Portal Of Power” tosses in an acoustic intro before detonating into full-on speed metal. This is where Mancaruso’s presence really pays off. He’s strong across the record, but on this track he adds a little extra bite—tiny accents, sharper push—like he’s trying to make sure the “curveball” actually curves instead of floating politely into the plate.

Where Crowned In Grey Skies stumbles: the “one dimension” stretch

Here’s the trade: the album wants a consistent foundation so it doesn’t feel scattered, but it overplays that hand. Too often, Crowned In Grey Skies leans on a single dimension—steady stomp, familiar pacing, similar guitar posture—and it starts to blur.

The opener “On The Howling Gate” comes in serviceable rather than jaw-dropping. It rumbles at a good pace, the guitars chug with competence, and the vibe says, “We’re here, we brought the banners.” The first time through, I thought, Okay, this is just the warm-up. On second listen, I respected it more—because it establishes the record’s core tone cleanly—but it still doesn’t surprise.

Then “In Open Defiance” shows up and… it’s basically a near carbon copy. That’s where the record starts to get ploddy, and it’s a real problem that it happens so early. Three songs in is too soon for the “haven’t we already had this conversation?” feeling.

And when “Triumphant Return” arrives, it doesn’t live up to its name. That title promises some raised-sword catharsis; what you get is closer to a mid-album jog that ends the first half with you quietly checking how much time is left. That’s not a fatal sin, but it is a pacing bruise—and arguable, sure: some listeners love that stubborn, un-flashy commitment. I’m just not convinced the songs earn that patience.

The side-project excuse doesn’t fully cover it (but it explains the vibe)

It’s tempting to shrug and go, Well, MACE ‘N’ CHAIN is still a side project—this is Nilsson flexing his trad metal muscles. And honestly, that framing does make some of the choices make sense. This album isn’t trying to reinvent metal; it’s trying to re-center it, like it’s dragging the genre back to a specific altar and lighting candles until you remember why riffs mattered.

But here’s the thing: even side projects benefit from restraint. When the record locks into sameness, you can hear the comfort settle in. Comfort is fine in life; in metal, comfort is how songs turn into background. And a project that claims “purest, most traditional form” can’t afford to sound like it’s coasting on the purity badge.

If anything, the presence of Mancaruso makes that contrast sharper. The drumming has enough snap and bite that it sometimes exposes the riffs when they’re not pulling their full weight.

The moments that work do it by actually committing

To be fair, the record does have flashes where it looks like it might step into something more exciting—and those are the moments that make the safer stretches more frustrating.

• When “The Spine of Night” delays the gallop, it’s the album choosing drama with intent.
• When “The Portal Of Power” pivots from acoustic to speed metal, it’s the band admitting that tradition doesn’t have to mean one tempo and one facial expression.
• When “Through Blood Red Veils” lets melody lead, it proves this project can do more than just “true metal” posture.

That’s why the album’s main limitation feels like a decision, not an accident. It’s as if Nilsson is dipping toes into more adventurous waters but won’t fully wade in—maybe because the project’s whole identity is built on not straying too far.

I kept waiting for one track to go from “solid” to “oh, damn”—the kind of moment that makes you restart a song before it even finishes. And while the record keeps offering competence, it rarely offers that compulsion.

The closing feeling: not anger, just no urgency

By the time “Risen Above the Light” ends, I’m not mad at Crowned In Grey Skies. I’m just not itching to hit play again.

That’s the most telling thing: the album has sparkle in spots, but it doesn’t land a defining hook or a shock-to-the-system left turn that stamps the whole listen into memory. It’s a record that behaves like the promise is enough—like declaring allegiance to heavy metal tradition is a substitute for writing the one song you can’t shake.

And maybe that’s what Nilsson actually wanted: a record that stands firm and refuses to entertain you too hard. If so, mission accomplished. If not, the next release needs more variety—not as a gimmick, but as proof that the project’s “pure” core can survive different shapes.

Album art

Release note

Crowned In Grey Skies is set for release on June 26th via No Remorse Records.

Conclusion

Crowned In Grey Skies wants to be a steel-toed monument to trad metal, and it mostly succeeds at standing tall—but it repeats itself enough that the monument starts to look like it was stamped from the same mold twice. The best moments tease a wider version of this band, one that could hit harder simply by letting itself move more.

Our verdict: If you like trad metal as a principle—riffs first, atmosphere second, zero embarrassment—this will feel like home. If you need songs to actually evolve and surprise you, you’ll get impatient around the early carbon-copy stretch and start daydreaming mid-chorus.

FAQ

• What is the core vibe of Crowned In Grey Skies?
  It’s traditional heavy metal with occasional detours into melody and speed metal, but it keeps snapping back to a familiar stomp.
• Does the album sound different from Among Ancient Pillars?
  Yes—there’s more attempt at range this time, plus the addition of drummer Joey Mancaruso changes the punch and feel.
• Which tracks show the most variety?
  “Through Blood Red Veils,” “The Spine of Night,” and “The Portal Of Power” stand out because they change approach instead of staying locked in one lane.
• Is Writhe, Oh Wyrm a good entry point?
  It’s representative of the project’s identity, but it doesn’t hit as hard as other songs here; it oddly undersells the album’s better moments.
• What’s the main weakness holding the album back?
  Too many songs lean on the same pacing and riff shape, so the record can start to feel samey before it’s earned that kind of repetition.

If you’re the type who treats album covers like part of the ritual, you can grab a favorite album cover poster over at https://www.architeg-prints.com — no hard sell, it just looks good on a wall when the riffs are this stubborn.