Crowbar

So I received a couple Crowbar CDs to check out. What's everyone's thoughts on this 90s band?

I been spinning Odd Fellow's Rest. The sound is slow, almost doomy, definitely brooding and skull-crushingly heavy. Guitars, bass and drums all become one forming a wall of sound. If Black Sabbath aren't on the top of their influences list, I'd be shocked. Tracks such as "... And Suffer as One" or "It's All in the Gravity" retain the shamelessly Sabbath-influenced, downtuned form of heaviness. If the music isn't dark enough, Kirk Windstein’s brooding, melancholic vocals and equally depressing lyrical content push it over the edge. Metaphorical passages such as "You've been baptized in a lake of tears, crucified yourself with your own fears..." paints a picture of the content of the album. Throughout the album I kept expecting a wicked Tony Ionmi-inspired guitar solo to come blaring out over the heavy, down-tuned guitars, but alas it never happens.

Now all this is not to say I don't like this album. I found it to be very enjoyable in small doses. The sheer heaviness and the dark, brooding atmosphere of the whole thing is quite appealing. However, a full album of this can get tedious and monotonous. No one said art had to be easy on the eyes, or in this case, the ears.

I LOVE this band! The perfect mix of hardcore & doom. I like to hear them in large doses. When I play one album, I generally play them all. Favorite album is probably Broken Glass. Favorite song is Through a Wall of Tears.

I actually heard them on "I heart radio" today when I did a search for Saint Vitus. From what I heard, they sounded good.

Beavis and Butt-Head were fans.

I enjoy them quite a bit in bursts when I'm in the mood for something doomy and sad.

Required Fields wrote:

Beavis and Butt-Head were fans.

They're a great band, the latest release was pretty stellar.

metalhead777 wrote:

I enjoy them quite a bit in bursts when I'm in the mood for something doomy and sad.

They are also good for angry & bitter.

I like them!Like you say Dark,Heavy and Brooding.

I'm glad you finally checked them out. They are one of my favorite bands! Odd Fellows Rest and Time Heals Nothing are the ones I like best. But all of their albums are great!

Just so you know ult, guitar solos aren't Crowbar's style, although they can throw a few down sometimes. Check out their cover of Iron Maiden's Remember Tomorrow.

Scott, I read your review on the new NLTM update. They clearly mention Black Sabbath as an influence; in the liner notes for the album you reviewed, they say, "And a very, very special thanks to pot, liquor, pills, and Black Sabbath."

Required Fields wrote:

Scott, I read your review on the new NLTM update. They clearly mention Black Sabbath as an influence; in the liner notes for the album you reviewed, they say, "And a very, very special thanks to pot, liquor, pills, and Black Sabbath."

Haha! Right on. I didn't read the liner notes.

Hey, ultmetal, check your private messages.

Got it. Thanks.

Beavis and Butt-Head watch Crowbar's video for "Existence is Punishment", off of their self titled sophomore album:

Why do people constantly bring up that retarded cartoon when mentioning this band? As if they wouldn't be around without it.

As for Ult's review, IMO lots of great music came out of the 90's. Even more so than the 80's.

I was searching for bands I've heard a lot of, but never listened to and this band came to mind. My first search of the band led me to this in the relevant searches.

I like them but only familar with one album. Keep meaning to check them out further, and I checked them out because Kurt, was in Down for awhile.

I have a couple of samples which I do not listen to a lot.

not a big fan of this style anyways.

I really like them, and Odd Fellows Rest is my favorite of their albums, but I am biased in this situation. I do agree that they are difficult in large doses. They are a great listen when you are in the mood, and I will go through phases where I don't listen to them for long periods of time. I do like the fact that their sound has not strayed too far over the years. Every time they put out an album you know you are gonna get some killer sludge/doom.

Listening to them cover no quarter right now! Pretty cool.

Hey, Scott, check your private messages.