FROZEN CROWN Reimagines GOO GOO DOLLS’ “Iris” as Power Metal on The Legend of the Six Kings
Italian power-metal band FROZEN CROWN has put its own stamp on one of the biggest alternative-rock songs of the late ’90s with a new version of GOO GOO DOLLS’ “Iris.”
The cover appears on the band’s sixth studio album, The Legend of the Six Kings, released Oct. 2 through Napalm Records. FROZEN CROWN transforms the 1998 ballad into a much heavier arrangement that moves from its familiar waltz-like foundation into high-speed drums, layered guitars and dual vocals from Giada “Jade” Etro and Federico Mondelli.
The song also became a recurring live moment during FROZEN CROWN’s first North American tour, where the band supported KAMELOT alongside VISIONS OF ATLANTIS.
“We played ‘Iris’ every night, together with the new album singles, and we were impressed by how strong the emotional impact was on the hundreds of people having these lyrics and this melody already cemented in their DNA,” Etro said.
Rather than treating the cover as an isolated experiment, FROZEN CROWN uses it as another point of contrast on The Legend of the Six Kings, an album that expands the band’s melodic power-metal foundation into darker territory.
The record continues concepts first introduced on the band’s debut, The Fallen King, returning to its mythology of kings, tyranny and a frozen realm while tightening the songwriting and expanding the role of drummer and multi-instrumentalist Niso Tomasini. The album also marks guitarist Aleksandra Stamenkovic’s growing presence in the lineup.
FROZEN CROWN describes the record as an attempt to distill its sound into more direct songs while still moving freely between speed metal, symphonic metal and melodic death metal. That range is particularly apparent across an album that shifts from the fast attack of “Lightning in the Sky” to the darker “The One,” the growl-driven “Winter Hearts” and the more melodic material surrounding “Iris.”
The title track closes the record with one of its heaviest combinations, pushing toward melodic death metal through Etro’s vocals and Mondelli’s mixture of clean singing and growls.
The Legend of the Six Kings Track Listing
- “Lightning in the Sky”
- “Who Wants to Burn in Heaven”
- “Reborn”
- “The One”
- “Iris”
- “Winter Hearts”
- “River of Time”
- “Through the Fire”
- “To the Stars”
- “The Legend of the Six Kings”
FROZEN CROWN will support BEAST IN BLACK on a European tour beginning Oct. 26 in London, with SONATA ARCTICA appearing as special guest. The run continues through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, France, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Luxembourg and Sweden before concluding Nov. 25 in Stockholm.
FROZEN CROWN consists of Giada “Jade” Etro on lead and backing vocals, Federico Mondelli on lead guitar and vocals, Niso Tomasini on drums, Francesco Zof on bass and backing vocals, and guitarists Alessia Lanzone and Aleksandra Stamenkovic.
The Legend of the Six Kings is out now through Napalm Records. Watch the video for "Iris" below: