Welp - it's the first Crowbar record in 6 years, an incredible break for what has long been one of metals most consistent bands. Yet Zero And Below proves that the living legends have not missed a beat. Their brand of uniquely New Orleans sludge continues to impress on this new record and it speaks to the bands longevity that their sound, while it has evolved, retains the same grit of yore. This is a truly heavy record, there's no other way to slice it and letting yourself get lost in the crushing guitars and devastating bottom end of what Crowbar have conjured up here is a delight.
Zero And Below is sludge metal done right, slow, punishingly heavy and surprisingly laden with sorrow. The layers of emotion here are impressive and the monolithic nature of the rhythms, interlocking and slowly moving forward is thrilling. There is a very real crush that almost feels like mountains moving. If you close your eyes while a song like "Chemical Godz" is turned all the way up you start to really get a sense for the scope of Crowbars work .This is metal music done in a way that you're left in awe, intimidated by the sheer volume and in awe of the bone grinding beauty that Crowbar consistently conjure up.
It's pretty crazy to think that well over 30 years into their career (Actually over 40 if you count Shell Shock) Crowbar are still one of the most impressive bands in the game with a sound that remains important, powerful and endlessly exciting. Zero And Below is a skull cracker and a record that proves these guys remain among the best to ever do it. Few new bands can emulate the same level of heaviness, but Crowbar have really cracked the code. Letting yourself suffer through the volume is a delight. Turn this all the way up.
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Additionally the Alternative Hard Rock Music became mainstream in the early 90's with bands like Faith No More and Tool and underground the Power, Death and Black Metal scenes grew strong (specially in Europe) with bands like Helloween, Gamma Ray for Power Metal; Death, Cannibal Corpse for Death Metal; and Dimmu Borgir and Emperor for Black Metal. Why Do People Hate Nu Metal? So, we can get to a point where we could ask: what heavy metal is.
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