Crowbar : Zero and Below"

 Kirk Windstein is back. One of the 90s most enduring metal bands churns with the swampy grooves that put them on the map. These guys have grown on me over the years and the more time I take with this band the more I appreciate them.  Windstein is the only original member with Soylent Green drummer Tommy Buckley as the next in line as the closest thing to an original member. The song writing on the opener is very taunt to the point it seems like they are taking the torch from Pantera. The doomier "Her Evil is Sacred" is heavier, but more bulldozing than melody. "Confess to Nothings" is darker and more desperate in its depressive throb to capture the sound of their earlier work. Windstein's voice is such a crucial part of the sound here, it's when he is in a raspy croon that they are at their most effective.  

He puts more anger into his snarl for "Chemical Godz". It is the most intense of the first four songs. It is also very effective when the tempo drops down to a doomier more sinister pace. As far as songwriting goes across the board "Denial of the Truth" is a more interesting song despite dropping the dynamic down to a shadowy power ballad of sorts.  Things pick up pace wise on "Bleeding From Every Hole".  I like the more rock n roll feel of "It's Always Worth the Gain". You can hear the Led Zeppelin influence which you know was there considering they have already covered 'No Quarter". I would not say there is much in the way of filler on this album some songs just connect more than others, "Crush Negativity" pretty much checks off most of the metal boxes. 

The more lumbering groove of "Reanimating a Lie" is what fans of the band are going to want. It picks up the pace to an almost thrashing pace and will induce most pits for sure. Some of the weighty chugs are impressive.  But even more impressed is the dark melodies infused into the despondent wail of the title track. I will give this a 9.5, it might not be their best album, but it is impressive and won me over, in the first listen. Longtime fans will find plenty to embrace and head bang over.