It’s so difficult to pinpoint the exact sub-genre that you would place New Orleans’ Crowbar in. Elements of doom metal, sludge metal, and this heaviness that overtakes your surroundings comes into play. During the early 1990’s their second self-titled album made a huge impact on the scene, thanks to the heavy rotation on MTV’s Headbangers’ Ball for their video “All I Had (I Gave)”. Guitarist/ vocalist Kirk Windstein remains the visionary and leader of the group – stepping away from his duties in Down to keep Crowbar strong and on the right path.
Symmetry In Black is the band’s tenth studio album, and right out of the gate I’m impressed once again by the sonic assault you receive through the speakers – the crushing guitar tone, the supreme despair pouring out of Kirk’s larynx, and the pummeling rhythm section that knows when to just cut a part in ½ or ¼ time for even more of a weighty impact. Crowbar is a band that never stay stuck in one gear – check out the adrenaline pumping thrash beats during the many of the instrumental transitions of “Ageless Decay” or the swampy groove throughout “Teach the Blind to See” to understand that just when you think the band is all doom and gloom, they throw in other influences to keep the songs peppy.
Black Sabbath and Carnivore would equally be proud of the Windstein / Matt Brunson thick guitar drone that makes “A Wealth of Empathy” and the viciously catchy first single “Walk with Knowledge Wisely” so memorable and instantaneous. You’ll even get a great double bass oriented track that should fuel the pit on “Symbolic Suicide” – where drummer Tommy Buckley goes from warp speed (for Crowbar’s style at least) to classic sludge doom tempo in the blink of an eye.
A more than adequate follow up to 2011’s Sever the Wicked Hand, Symmetry in Black proves once again proves that the old guard still has a lot of life left in the creative tank- so celebrate as Crowbar still rules.
Matt Coe, HMS
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