Pain, depression, times of collapse… In such moments, you might find yourself craving something soft and narcotic—maybe Leonard Cohen. But if your suffering is accompanied by anger—towards people, your surroundings, maybe even yourself—then you’ll inevitably end up listening to Crowbar with a bottle of whiskey in hand. If by the end of any Crowbar album you've made it halfway through that bottle, it’s likely you’ll find yourself grabbing a crowbar—literally—and smashing windows or someone’s face. Crowbar makes you reflect, makes you act, and when it’s all over, it lets you breathe. Emptiness, then release.
If we set Acid Bath aside for being in a league of its own (and of course, endless respect to The Melvins as the godfathers), Crowbar has been the reigning king of sludge for years. Rage, grief, raw emotion, and heavy lyrics have always come together most powerfully through this band. After their uninspiring release Lifesblood for the Downtrodden six years ago, Sever the Wicked Hand, their ninth album, stands—as far as I’m concerned—as the peak of Crowbar’s discography.
For Kirk Windstein, this is an album of renewal. His lyrics make it clear how the birth of his daughter changed his life, how he wants to leave the past behind—it's a new Kirk, though still every bit the macho force he’s always been. Musically, the album has some of the most crushing riffs and deeply affecting melodies the band has ever recorded. Even the track order is flawless; not a second is wasted. Whether heavy, fast, depressive, or furious, the songs flow perfectly from one mood to another. In short, they’ve played like absolute beasts. I should mention how impressed I am with new drummer Matthew Brunson—his playing fits every track like a glove and sounds fantastic. As for the guitars, I honestly don’t know how to describe them… the tone is colossal, the riffs hit with the force of a long-haul truck driver’s fists. And Kirk’s vocals? Never before has he sounded this ferocious yet wounded. His voice aches.
There are 12 tracks on the album, and I could easily include 2 or 3 of them in a personal Crowbar Top 10 list. Honestly, even while writing this I can’t decide which songs to highlight—they’re all that intense. Still, "Echo An Eternity" stands out with its slow tempo, piercingly depressive melodies, and vocals that feel like they’ve crawled out of your own despair. Another massive blow is "The Cemetery Angels"—right before the chorus kicks in, a simple yet brutally sharp riff slices straight through you. Following that, "As I Become One" comes in with a faster, angrier pace; Kirk roars over powerful riffs, then suddenly, a sorrowful guitar solo enters before it all crashes down again in pure fury. "Cleanse Me, Heal Me" brings in Pantera-style riffs and groovy drums—one of the heaviest and most riff-driven tracks here. "Protectors of the Shrine" might seem like a typical mid-tempo Crowbar piece at first, but it hides some faster drumming and almost necro-sounding riffs in certain sections.
To wrap it up—this is a stunning album from beginning to end. I honestly haven’t written a review this long or detailed in over a year. I could probably keep going, but this will do. One of the best albums of the year.