eOne music
2011
1. Isolation (Desperation)
2. Sever the Wicked Hand
3. Liquid Sky and Cold Black Earth
4. Let Me Mourn
5. The Cemetery Angels
6. As I Become One
7. A Farewell to Misery
8. Protectors of the Shrine
9. I Only Deal in Truth
10. Echo an Eternity
11. Cleanse Me, Heal Me
12. Symbiosis
Crowbar are probably a bit outside the sort of band I normally like, but I do like them none the less. I have to laugh a little bit when I use a subgenre term like sludge metal, as there are just too many of these sub-classifications, but with a band like this the term fits. I've always liked their releases so this is certainly one I was looking forward to hearing.
Sever The Wicked Hand is nothing new for Crowbar and is very much in their patented sound, but I would have expected no more or less. Crowbar are one of those bands with a pretty distinctive sound that can be identified instantly and it's not one they really stray from. This signature sound comes in no small part from Kirk Windstein's vocals. Typically I'm not a big fan of hardcore-ish/gruff vocals like these, but in the instance of Kirk Windstein I love his voice in fact. Despite being harsh he has a sort of odd melody about him. The guy simply has a good sense of it and his voice always brings an extra layer of depth to anything he sings in my opinion. Add that together with the punishingly thick sound of the music and you have a winning combo that's become a good formula for them.
Despite there being no big changes here I find myself no less interested as there is enough variation within their sound to remain fresh. Crowbar tends to have a nice amount of trade off between slower, doomier tunes and more upbeat ass kickers. Sever The Wicked Hand is no exception to that and I never find myself thinking of a track as filler or the same old. With a band like this it comes down to songs and this album has got em. Whether it's at a funeral pace or pit fare this album succeeds with good riffs and strong melodies. I tend to find the more upbeat headbangable fare the most enjoyable in terms of highlights, but the heavy crawl of slower tunes and the trudge of more mid paced ones provides a breath of fresh air in the mix.
The bottom line here is this is just a strong album for people who like their metal as a thick wall of sound. Crowbar fans should find plenty to like here and I think this is their strongest album in some time... not that any of em aren't good.
Highlights: The Cemetary Angels, Sever The Wicked Hand, As I Become One, Let Me Mourn
Rating - 4.0/5
2. Sever the Wicked Hand
3. Liquid Sky and Cold Black Earth
4. Let Me Mourn
5. The Cemetery Angels
6. As I Become One
7. A Farewell to Misery
8. Protectors of the Shrine
9. I Only Deal in Truth
10. Echo an Eternity
11. Cleanse Me, Heal Me
12. Symbiosis
Crowbar are probably a bit outside the sort of band I normally like, but I do like them none the less. I have to laugh a little bit when I use a subgenre term like sludge metal, as there are just too many of these sub-classifications, but with a band like this the term fits. I've always liked their releases so this is certainly one I was looking forward to hearing.
Sever The Wicked Hand is nothing new for Crowbar and is very much in their patented sound, but I would have expected no more or less. Crowbar are one of those bands with a pretty distinctive sound that can be identified instantly and it's not one they really stray from. This signature sound comes in no small part from Kirk Windstein's vocals. Typically I'm not a big fan of hardcore-ish/gruff vocals like these, but in the instance of Kirk Windstein I love his voice in fact. Despite being harsh he has a sort of odd melody about him. The guy simply has a good sense of it and his voice always brings an extra layer of depth to anything he sings in my opinion. Add that together with the punishingly thick sound of the music and you have a winning combo that's become a good formula for them.
Despite there being no big changes here I find myself no less interested as there is enough variation within their sound to remain fresh. Crowbar tends to have a nice amount of trade off between slower, doomier tunes and more upbeat ass kickers. Sever The Wicked Hand is no exception to that and I never find myself thinking of a track as filler or the same old. With a band like this it comes down to songs and this album has got em. Whether it's at a funeral pace or pit fare this album succeeds with good riffs and strong melodies. I tend to find the more upbeat headbangable fare the most enjoyable in terms of highlights, but the heavy crawl of slower tunes and the trudge of more mid paced ones provides a breath of fresh air in the mix.
The bottom line here is this is just a strong album for people who like their metal as a thick wall of sound. Crowbar fans should find plenty to like here and I think this is their strongest album in some time... not that any of em aren't good.
Highlights: The Cemetary Angels, Sever The Wicked Hand, As I Become One, Let Me Mourn
Rating - 4.0/5
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