EP Review: Create Me // Erase Me

Aotearoa’s progressive metalcore heavyweights Crooked Royals return with their most diverse and intriguing music yet. Create Me // Erase Me is a four-track collection that captures some of the band’s most creative, heavy, and captivating work to date. Following a short songwriting break after the release of their acclaimed debut album Quarter Life Daydream – which saw them tour Europe with prog-metal titans Periphery and headline across Australia and New Zealand – the band emerges revitalized. The EP also marks the first new release with guitarist Matt Townshend, whose presence and songwriting leave a clear imprint across these tracks.

Persona launches the EP in uncompromising fashion. It’s one of Crooked Royals’ heaviest songs to date, yet it balances aggression with melody. Keane Gillie’s relentless double kicks power the track, meshing with precise riffs, animated licks, pick scrapes, and a dual vocal onslaught. Lee Mackley’s unclean vocals have reached a new level of ferocity, while Christian Carstensen’s cleans soar hypnotically. The arrangement is both direct and dynamic, shifting through sections that pulse with creativity and energy. Lyrically and sonically, the band channels raw power and emotion. Lee also introduces rapid-fire rapped vocals – a new edge that resurfaces in Catch 22 and Effigy.

Catch 22 refines the signature Crooked Royals formula. The riffs bite hard, the chugs hit deep, and the melodies cut through with clarity. The track maintains heaviness and technicality but feels more accessible in its composition. Christian shines here – his soaring cleans, delicate whispers, and especially the chilling scream that bridges into the final chorus showcase his full range. Both vocalists unleash their arsenal against a backdrop of tight, intricate drumming from Gillies and the dual-guitar assault of Jake Andrews and Matt Townshend. Jake’s fretboard mastery is on full display – his solos tasteful, expressive, and razor sharp. Together, he and Matt feel like a pairing that was always meant to be.

Kerosene leans into modern Northlane territory with low-toned vocals and a big, nu-metal groove. Lee pushes his screamed vocals into new territory, adding variety and depth, while the guitars twist and evolve – imitating DJ scratches, unleashing monstrous bends, harmonics, and pinched squeals. The creativity here is boundless. The choruses, layered with clean and unclean vocal harmonies, hit with massive impact. This track feels built for the live stage and is destined to become a setlist highlight.

Effigy closes the EP on its most progressive note. The song begins with Christian’s melodic vocals over minimal instrumentation before Lee enters with sharp, raspy rapped lines delivered at an intense, almost poetic cadence. The contrast between voices and moods creates tension that builds steadily, eventually exploding with driving riffs and soaring energy. Jake delivers a solo that’s catchy and tasteful, enhancing rather than overwhelming. As the track crescendos, Gillie’s machine-gun double kicks paired with piano bring the EP to a powerful, cinematic finale.

The production throughout Create Me // Erase Me is outstanding – crisp programming, punchy drums, and carefully balanced levels highlight the band’s growth and ambition. This release breathes new life into Crooked Royals’ evolving sound, proving they’re not only leaders of the Aotearoa heavy scene but innovators pushing it forward.

Be sure to catch Crooked Royals on their upcoming NZ tour and witness these tracks live. The future is Crooked.