“All these sound engineers and friends were advising us to use a backing track… we really despise that! We wanted a real person”: How an 18-year-old shredder supersized Frozen Crown’s triple-guitar power metal assault

Frozen Crown's three guitarist pose with their high-performance electric guitars on a stairwell [from left] Alessia Lanzone, Federico Mondelli and Fabiola Bellomo
(Image credit: Anna Mazurek)

Though Frozen Crown’s new album War Hearts keeps pace with the jubilantly shredded power metal the Italian combo has been honing since 2017, it’s likewise an energized sprint forward for the act.

You can credit that to the Milanese outfit having supersized their lineup in 2023 through the addition of third guitar player and rising prodigy Alessia Lanzone. The 18-year-old’s arrival is apparent from the record’s BPM-pushing opening title track, where Lanzone leads off a back-to-back-to‑back solo section with feverishly fluid legato runs.

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Gregory Adams

Gregory Adams is a Vancouver-based arts reporter. From metal legends to emerging pop icons to the best of the basement circuit, he’s interviewed musicians across countless genres for nearly two decades, most recently with Guitar World, Bass Player, Revolver, and more – as well as through his independent newsletter, Gut Feeling. This all still blows his mind. He’s a guitar player, generally bouncing hardcore riffs off his ’52 Tele reissue and a dinged-up SG.