CROWBAR ‘Lifesblood For The Downtrodden’
Candlelight(2005)
God damn, it’s really hard to believe that Crowbar have been around as a band for the last sixteen years! And this is not because I think that they don’t deserve it or anything like that (I’m not that daft, by the way), but because I can still remember the very first day I encountered their debut album on the shelves of Rock City - my favourite Metal record store in the centre of Athens, and that was indeed a long time ago.
Well, the ideal scenario would be for me to tell you how I immediately became infatuated with their music and became their most devoted fan, adding all of their albums to my CD collection, but that simply wouldn’t be the truth! When you are a young kid, your budget is quite limited (I’m sure that most of you remember that situation, or you are currently living it) and as a consequence you are forced to become more selective. Well, I guess that you can say that when the dreadful time of having to select my next album came about, Crowbar were never my first choice, and that situation continued for quite a long time.
Well, things are just about to change, since I have finally managed to get my hands on the band’s latest effort which is entitled “Lifesblood for the Downtrodden” and which is indeed an amazing effort! I really don’t understand what the hell “Sludge Metal” is supposed to mean, so I will make things a little bit simpler, to the dissappointment of all those Metal experts out there, by saying that Crowbar’s music combines the general atmosphere of Doom Metal with the adrenalised guitar riffs of Thrash and Hardcore music. How well do these elements mix together? Perfectly!
‘Powerfull’ is the most appropriate word to describe the band’s music. All eleven compositions of “Lifesblood for the Downtrodden” are based on solid, low-chorded guitar riffs and Kirk’s quite characteristic voice, both of which will create an enormous musical web that you are quite unlikely to escape. When we are talking about Doom Metal, though, the first instrument that comes to mind is the bass guitar. It will please many people to know that most of the bass guitar parts on this album are performed by Rex Brown – a musician who was partly responsible for the unique heavy sound of the US outfit Pantera. Adding Craig Numenmacher (BLS, Crowbar) and Warren Riker (Down II) to this team, you have the line up which brought this really impressive album to life.
The high standard of production that these really experienced musicians managed to create will make the selection of your favourite songs very difficult - yet, there are three compositions which are, as far as I’m concerned, the best ambassadors of Crowbars music, the first being “Fall Back to Zero”. What starts as a very atmospheric and emotional composition, with Kirk’s mesmerising vocals accompanying a meloic guitar theme, develops into mind-blowing tempo dynamite, based on a skullcrushing Metal riff which you don’t get to listen to from many bands nowadays. “Moon” is another song that’s I really loved because it’s based on Kirk’s vocals that, I dare to say, sound similar to the ones Phil Anselmo recorded for Pantera’s anthem “This Love”. Finally, I will add “Life’s Blood” to the list of my personal favourites a) because it is a very unusual, for Crowbar’s standards, song based on a beautiful acoustic guitar, and b) because it’s the most appropriate way to close this amazing release.
It took me sixteen years to become acquainted with Crowbar’s music andlistening to the songs of “Lifesblood for the Downtrodden” made me regret not having done this earlier. I don’t think that it’s possible for someone who’s into many different styles of Metal music to listen to this album and not get blown away by its unique strength and energy.
****½
Review by John Stefanis
|
