Published on Jan 1, 2001
Shocking admission: Up until last year, the only thing I knew
about Crowbar was that Beavis & Butt-Head liked them.
It’s embarassing, but it’s true. So many bands come through the
pipeline each year, and I only have so much time I can devote to
listening to music, that inevitably someone falls through the
cracks. In Crowbar’s case, they took a header through one until I
received
Equilibrium in the mail. At that time, I learned something
new about Crowbar: this was the kind of group you either love or
hate. There is no middle ground.
And while I’m playing catch-up with this band through their MP3s
on EMusic.com (relax, it’s
legal), I still find myself not quite knowing what to think
of these guys after listening to their best-of
Sludge – History Of Crowbar. On one hand, Kirk Windstein and
crew are able to put a new spin on their doom-and-gloom style of
metal, including moving away from constant open-chord progressions.
On the other hand, you’ve heard one spine-stomper, you’ve heard ’em
all.
Crowbar do follow a different drum, and they’re not afraid to
attempt to plow new musical ground – something I admire in this
band. Who else would dare to try their hands at a metal ballad
(?!?) on “Existence Is Punishment” – ironically, the track that
Beavis & Butt-Head singled out. Who else would have the balls
to cover a ’70s dinosaur like “Dream Weaver”? Who else would dare
to throw in a little melody and turn a good song like “Glass Full
Of Liquid Pain” into something extraordinary?
The live tracks on
Sludge – History Of Crowbar help to seal the effect of this
band’s power. “I Have Failed” and “Fixation” are two powerful
examples of just what this band is capable of doing – namely,
reaching into your chest and snapping your ribs like they were
matchsticks.
Yet I’m still not totally convinced in Crowbar. Tracks like “All
I Had (I Gave),” “Planets Collide” and “Subversion” all fail to set
themselves apart as something different from numerous other metal
bands I’ve heard over the years. It’s not that they’re bad, but
that they’re almost formulatic. I guess my disappointment kicked in
after hearing the outstanding tracks on this disc; if Crowbar can
hit the bullseye with those, why can’t tracks like “Waiting In
Silence” have the same power?
Sludge – History Of Crowbar is a disc which should tie up
loose ends for anyone who came into Crowbar mid-journey, and will
be a nice collection of favorites for the diehard fan. But it also
shows a band who could be uneven at times – disappointing only when
you hear just what they’re capable of.