Following exhaustive touring with Down, fans eagerly awaited the return of Crowbar. They probably didn't anticipate how good the album would be as it turned out to be one of their best. It's easily in the same vein of their early works with a modern twist. Get it and listen immediately.
Their self-titled was a vast improvement over Obedience Thru Suffering, which I felt was too lackluster for me. While Time Heals Nothing may not improve on an already winning formula established on their previous effort, it's another greasy slab of heaviness that be equally as heavy if not heavier.
Having Philip Anselmo as producer on their self-titled album must have proved effective enough for Crowbar that they wanted to have him help with production for their fourth album Broken Glass. What really needs to be said? Crowbar meets expectations, and at times exceeds them. There's plenty of bands with riff-master guitarists. Kirk Weinstein is a top contender for master of god-like guitar riffs, and there's plenty of them here.
I wasn't real crazy about Equilibrium, but Odd Fellows Rest was easily one of their best. Putting the two together in one neat package is not a bad deal, it's 2 cd's for the price of 1. Recommended especially for Crowbar fans.
First albums don't always end up being the best thing in a band's discography when put against other works they've done, and unfortunately for Crowbar, this is no exception. You know what they were going for as it was better done on follow-up albums like Crowbar and Time Heals Nothing. They just didn't quite make it work on Obedience Thru Suffering. As a fan of Crowbar, I wouldn't want to buy it. Only get it if you're a completionist.
In The Arms Of God is the gnarliest and most raw sounding of the Pepper Keenan era Corrosion Of Conformity music that's come out. I believe it's much closer to the sound that Down had down on their second album. If you enjoy it a bit grimy and dirty in the vein of Black Sabbath, then definitely get it. If you're expecting something like Deliverance or Wiseblood, you'll likely be disappointed.
Crowbar is one of the heaviest bands to come out of New Orleans. Very few bands have tried to emulate their sound with success. If you've never heard Crowbar, but you're familiar with Down, you've likely heard the gnarly riffage courtesy of Kirk Windstein who served as the band's guitarist til 2013. Well, until you hear Crowbar, you've yet to hear what he truly has to offer. Also, check out Corrosion Of Conformity.
If you've read the title of the review and the band Fear Factory comes to mind, you're on the right track, but no. If you've heard Allegaeon before, then you already have a good idea on how they sound. Well, this album will likely blow whatever expectations you have away. I probably wouldn't recommend this for purists that might confuse this for your typical deathcore band. Not that there's anything wrong with deathcore.
If you've just noticed the packaging artwork for this and have read the description, you've read right. Inside The Torn Apart, Words From The Exit Wound, and the Breed To Breathe EP are back in print, and are all in one package. Diatribes / Greed Killing / Bootlegged in Japan are also available in a similar package. Recommended for anyone that is a fan of Napalm Death.
I've never heard a bad record from Vader, and this is no different. If you like thrashy death metal, Vader gets the job done. Recommended for fans of Decide, Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth, Decapitated, and Slayer.