eOne Music
2014
1. Walk With Knowledge Wisely
2. Symmetry In White
3. The Taste Of Dying
4. Reflection Of Deceit
5. Ageless Decay
6. Amaranthine
7. The Foreboding
8. Shaman Of Belief
9. Teach The Blind To See
10. A Wealth Of Empathy
11. Symbolic Suicide
12. The Piety Of Self-Loathing
Crowbar are one of those bands that are almost an oddity in my music collection. I don't usually listen to a lot of vocals as harsh as Kirk Windstein's or bands as thick sounding as Crowbar, but there's always been a quality to this band that I've liked. A certain melodic touch that's always been present in Windstein's vocals and songwriting. It's not just harsh for the sake of it and has a great deal of dark atmosphere as well. I also enjoyed the hell out of their last album, Sever The Wicked Hand, so this was one I was looking forward to hearing going in.
When I first started listening to Symmetry In Black I wasn't sure exactly what to make of it. The early tracks on this album are definitely Crowbar in sound with their thick sludgey delivery and growled vocals, but they just lack a certain something to push them to the next level. None of these songs are bad at all, but could be mostly classified as typical without the speed ups or melodic passages to quite make them stick with you. The bulk of the first half of the album just rolls by in a fairly familiar fashion without the little nuances to elevate it to a higher level. There are a few faster moments in Ageless Decay, but that one didn't really grab me as it came off as a bit shouty/hardcore and chaotic. The only song that really breaks the mold in the first half of the album is Amaranthine which is all atmosphere and something like a Crowbar version of the ballad. Not a bad tune, but also extremely sedate. At this point I was more or less ready to write that this was an ok if a but average Crowbar album and a step or two down from the quality of Sever The Wicked Hand.
Thankfully though, that is not the complete story of Symmetry In Black. Following Amaranthine, The Foreboding caught my attention with a bit more melodic sense and things only got better from there with the punch of Shaman Of Disbelief and the nice heavy yet resonant vocals contained within. All of the highlights really come in a torrent as the band seems to wake up on the second half of the album. Teach The Blind To See is also worth noting with it's more energized and groovy leads and A Wealth Of Disbelief leaves an impression with melodic touches in the more drawn out vocals. Really I'd be be remiss not to mention the mix of fast paced brutality and slower moments in Symbolic Suicide as well. The only moment that doesn't really qualify as a highlight in the second half of the album is the instrumental closer The Piety Of Self-Loathing and that one is alright for what it is.
In closing, Symmetry In Black is a worthy album that's definitely worth the ride in the end, but it strikes me as a bit uneven. It sort of balances out, but it feels like the album just takes a long time to really get moving and that is the one mark against it. If everything here was the quality of the second half of the album then it would be looking at a higher rating. This is still well worth listening to for fans of Crowbar and this brand of sludge/southern metal that bands like Crowbar, Down, And Corrosion of Conformity have popularized.
Highlights: Shaman Of Belief, Teach The Blind To See, A Wealth Of Empathy, Symbolic Suicide
Rating - 3.5/5
