Apocalypse by Crown Lands, 2026 album.
The Crown Lands are a Canadian rock duo active since 2015 from Oshawa, Ontario. Their name, “Crown Lands”, refers to lands taken from native peoples by the colonial government. Their music is a blend of progressive rock complexity and classic hard rock energy.
Cody Bowles, vocals and drums of the duo, is of Mi’kmaq origin, a Native American people, and has an incredible falsetto vocal range, reminiscent of that of Geddy Lee of Rush or Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin. Cody writes most of the lyrics, adding elements of history and spirituality of Canadian natives.
Kevin Comeau is a multi-instrumentalist and the mind behind the band, who studied classical music and blues guitar. His style blends powerful guitar riffs with spacey atmospheres and he plays a double-neck guitar (6-string guitar and 12-string bass) and at the same time controls Moog synths and pedal bass with his feet, creating a wall of sound on his own.
“Apocalypse” was released on May 15, 2026 via Inside Out Music. It was recorded and conceived entirely in their home studio, which gave the band the freedom to make music without financial pressure or the limits of a major label. Besides the two members, the band worked with top producers: Nick Raskulinecz, who has worked with Rush, Foo Fighters and Alice in Chains, and David Bottrill, famous for his work with Tool, King Crimson and Peter Gabriel.
It is a dark sci-fi concept album, a narrative journey that serves as a prequel to their 2023 record, Fearless.
Each track is a chapter of a book, taking you into a fantasy world, a world facing an epochal change. The sound is a mix of ’70s progressive rock and classic hard rock, with a modern, energetic production.
The album is strongly influenced by ’70s progressive rock, with a big alternation between aggressive moments and more relaxed atmospheres. The rhythm section is full of odd meters, tempo changes and polyrhythms, very reminiscent of Rush’s style, and there’s lots of electronics with spacey arrangements featuring vintage analog keyboards, Moog, Oberheim OB6 synths and Taurus pedal bass.
In the most intense moments, the electric guitar unleashes powerful riffs, bluesy licks and screaming solos that recall the classic heavy rock of Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. Cody Bowles’ voice is incredibly versatile, moving from melodic, dreamy lines to razor-sharp high notes, in the style of Robert Plant or Geddy Lee, doubled in the studio by rich, intense backing vocals. But there are also more acoustic moments with the ney flute (a Middle Eastern reed flute) and 12-string acoustic guitar.
I have the limited edition IOM770 version pressed on translucent colored “Neon Yellow” vinyl.
“Proclamation I” is a short, evocative introduction, a prelude that creates an atmosphere of suspense and mystery. A mix of atmospheric Prog and Ambient. Enchanting is the opening weave of spacey keyboards and the narrated voice.
“Foot Soldier of the Syndicate” is the album’s true rock start, an energetic, driving piece, with a super-tight riff that immediately shows the duo’s hard rock side. A mix of Hard Rock and Crossover Prog with a gorgeous distorted, powerful guitar riff and Bowles’ aggressive vocals.
“Through the Looking Glass” is a melodic track rich in nuances. It starts out acoustic and ethereal, then explodes into a dramatic, intense chorus, an ’80s power ballad, a mix of Melodic Prog and Vintage Rock, with a wonderful opening guitar arpeggio and a vocal burst on the chorus.
“Blackstar” is one of the darkest and heaviest tracks on the album, with a pulsing, hypnotic bass groove. The synths create a sci-fi, oppressive atmosphere. A mix of Heavy Prog and Space Rock with a superb bass performance by Comeau.
“The Fall” is a majestic song that tells of the descent into the abyss. There’s a sweeping guitar solo and a great epic final chorus.
“The Revenants I” is a melancholy acoustic ballad. Strings and woodwinds create an atmosphere of calm and reflection before the final explosion. A mix of Prog Folk and acoustic Rock, with the wonderful use of the Mellotron creating an orchestral bed and Bowles’ great vocal part.
“Apocalypse” is the album’s centerpiece, a colossal suite divided into 13 movements, with a mix of heavy riffs, choral interludes, ambient sections and instrumental gallops that sum up the whole record. Despite a few somewhat abrupt tempo changes, it’s a triumph of prog rock. Superb the spacey Oberheim keyboard intro, the Ney flute solo halfway through, and the final reprise of the Proclamation theme that closes the circle.
Apocalypse is an album with a grand, technical and theatrical sound all at once. Crown Lands, while paying tribute to the greats of the past, manage to bring a breath of freshness to prog, making it vital and accessible to everyone. Their style is a sumptuous mix of symphonic progressive rock and hard rock. Among the main influences, the fellow-countrymen Rush and the legendary Led Zeppelin inevitably stand out; they also influenced my band in Rome when I was 17, they’re references that can’t help but leave their mark on those who followed them. To round it all out, the band weaves in folk and world-music touches, thanks to the use of traditional flutes that recall the singer’s indigenous roots. A discovery that makes me want to retrace their discography from the beginning. Great album that becomes excellent thanks to the beautiful suite on side B.
My Version
Label: Inside Out Music – IOM770, Sony Music – 19958417631
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Yellow [Neon]
Country: Europe
Released: 15 May 2026
Tracklist
A1 Proclamation I 1:21
A2 Foot Soldier Of The Syndicate 4:19
A3 Through The Looking Glass 3:45
A4 Blackstar 4:02
A5 The Fall 4:31
A6 The Revenants I 5:26
Apocalypse (19:01)
B-I Into The Fray
B-II Dragons & Demons (Main Theme)
B-III Mortar & Pestilence
B-IV Blackstar's Hammer (Main Theme II)
B-V Plea Of The Ebonflight
B-VI Showdown Pt. I: Fall Of The Dragon
B-VII Proclamation II
B-VIII Fatigued & Forlorn
B-IX The Asteroid Belt
B-X Showdown Pt. II: The Battle Back Home
B-XI Shadows In The Dark
B-XII Epilogue (Main Theme Reprise)
B-XIII Final Proclamation
LineUp
12-string Electric Guitar, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Synthesizer [Mimimoog], Synthesizer [Oberheim OB6 Synthesizer], Pedalboard [Taurus Pedals], Mellotron – Kevin Comeau
Vocals, Drums, Percussion, Ney [Ney Flute], Flute [Pentatonic Flute] – Cody Bowles
Listening links on the main streaming platforms at the following links:
Spotify: Listen to the full album and the duo’s discography directly on Crown Lands on Spotify.
Apple Music: Play the 7 tracks in high definition via the dedicated page for Apocalypse on Apple Music
Bandcamp: Support the band directly by buying or streaming in 24-bit HD format on the Apocalypse on Bandcamp.
Note: All links to the musicians’ works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists"
