Compared to American Standard, this CD has a bit more depth, perhaps more gloom, but absolutely more creativity-- not that American Standard is not in itself a good CD. According to the Seven Mary Three site, Rock Crown is a personal favorite of the band, and by no doubt, it is highly creative. Every song has its own personal feel to it, although some songs may be too solemn, or too deep for the mainstream audience to fully appreciate, perhaps this is why Seven Mary Three isn't as acknowledged as they should be. As with solemnity, some songs are indeed very slow and filled with emotion that such slowness can accompany-- songs such as Oven and Lucky-- and this might not be accepted by listeners who prefer the more upbeat 7M3 songs reminiscent of hits like Cumbersome and Water's Edge from the previous album. Rock Crown is an album loaded with creativity and individuality. It definitely stands out from the other 7M3 albums.