The Fallout

Crown the Empire infuses its melodic post-hardcore with a heroic glow on its debut album, Fallout. The Texas sextet achieves a widescreen sound that lifts it beyond the usual manic bellows and chugging breakdowns of similar bands. The orchestral strains of the opening tune, “Oh, Catastrophe,” set the mood for the rest of this high-drama set. Intriguing textures abound: the cinematic strings and choral-style vocals on “Menace” and the slinky Latin interludes on “Two’s Too Many” convey the striking contrasts here. Crown the Empire works both ends of the spectrum, effortlessly veering from the yearning sentiments of “The One You Feed” to the furious attack of “Children of Love.” Lead singer Andy Leo’s clean vocals get a powerful assist from David Escamilla’s guttural eruptions. The agile guitar team of Brandon Hoover and Bennett Vogelman is complemented by Austin Duncan’s keyboard embellishments. Lyrically, the album pulses with lovelorn desperation and a pervasive sense of doom, culminating with the rampaging final track, “Johnny’s Revenge.” Matching ferocity with finesse, Fallout launches Crown the Empire as a band of creative distinction.