KINGCROW are maestros of progressive rock. For the past two decades, the Italian band have flown at the forefront of Italy’s progressive metal scene. But on the band’s new album, Hopium, they dive down a rabbit hole into a world where dreams are just illusions.
Hopium comes out tomorrow, Friday, August 23 on Season of Mist. But you can listen to all nine high-flying songs today by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.
Pre-order & pre-save at https://orcd.co/kingcrowhopium
Hopium is full of desire yet mixed with the bittersweet taste of longing. Produced by guitarist/keyboardist Diego Cafolla alongside his brother and drummer Thundra Cafolla, the album ranges from dark introspection to joyous crescendos.
Lead single “Kintsugi” draws from the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with a hard-grooving riff, while “Night Drive” is an eerily hypnotic thriller that’s the perfect soundtrack for a dark night of the soul. The title track and closing number ends the album on a high note, weaving together progressive rock, ambient and metal music into a gripping tale about societal illusions.
With Hopium, Kingcrow demonstrate showcase their effortless command of dynamic range and raw emotion.
“Hopium is packed with great music, start to finish…This one is essential” – Progressive Music Planet
“Bands like Kingcrow just don’t get the attention they deserve…This album continues their tradition of excellence” – The Prog Mind
“Kingcrow’s Hopium is definitely a candidate for the best prog album of 2024” – Velvet Thunder UK
“Kingcrow confirm themselves as true champions of this style with an extraordinary album” – Rock Hard IT
Tracklist1. Kintsugi (3:53) [WATCH]
2. Glitch (3:56)
3. Parallel Lines (6:46)
4. New Moon Harvest (3:30)
5. Losing Game (5:28)
6. White Rabbit’s Hole (6:55)
7. Night Drive (5:48) [WATCH]
8. Vicious Circle (4:21)
9. Hopium (8:24) [WATCH]
10. Come Through (Bonus Track) (4:21)
Total runtime: 53:27
The first incarnation of the band was originally founded in Rome, Italy, by brothers Diego Cafolla (guitars) and Manuel Thundra Cafolla (drums) under the name of “Earth Shaker”.
Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “Raven” and driven by a will of change, the band’s name was soon altered into KINGCROW and a couple of self-produced demos/albums where recorded under the KINGCROW moniker: Something Unknown(2001), Insider (2004) and Timetropia (2006).
In the early months of 2010 the band finished recording their new album “Phlegethon” that was released in June of the same year under the “Scarlet Records” label.
It was considered on an international level as a relevant masterpiece and was classed as one of the elite progressive metal albums of the year. It has been near the top of the “album of the year” charts in some international prog-rock websites. Phlegethon promotion lasted for about two years and a half.
During the same year, the band recorded the new album “In Crescendo” that was released in February 2013 by the American label “Sensory Records.
The band toured along with Pain Of Salvation in North America in April and May, 2013. In 2015 the band released the album “Eidos” and toured Europe as Headliners. Meanwhile KINGCROW signed a management deal with GlassVille Music, house of very well known progressive acts like Pain Of Salvation and Riverside among others.
The band recorded the new album titled “The Persistence”.
The album was released on September 7th via Sensory Records and received great reviews and ended on a lot of “best of 2018” lists on magazines and webzines.
The upcoming album “Hopium” marks another step forward in pushing boundaries remarking the restless progressive attitude of the band in incorporating countless influences into a personal sound.
Describing the band today is quite a difficult task, but one could state that the influence of different kinds of music, from progressive rock , ambient music, alternative rock and metal are all present in the music of KINGCROW.
With each release KINGCROW has taken a step further away from their original roots and is regarded today as one of the most exciting bands that Italy has to offer.
Line-up
Diego Marchesi – Vocals
Diego Cafolla – Guitars, Keys, Backing Vocals
Ivan Nastasi – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Riccardo Nifosì – Bass, Backing Vocals
Thundra – Drums, Percussions
Recording Studio
Sound Under Pressure (Rome, Italy)
Production Credits
Produced by Diego Cafolla & Thundra Cafolla
Sound Engineer – Diego Cafolla
Mixed by Giampiero Ulacco at Holofram Studios (Francavilla al Mare, Italy)
Mastered by Marco Vannucci at Spitfire Mastering Studio (Italy)
Guest Musicians
Vikram Shankar – Piano solo on “Hopium”
Official Website: https://www.kingcrow.it/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Kingcrowband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kingcrow_official/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KingcrowBand
Bandcamp: https://kingcrow1.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3nnSgQo8TIgiO5M5pv3mlV
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kingcrow/594989536
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/artist/1002506
TIDAL: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/6519112
Click image to watch the video
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