Crowbar – Sever The Wicked Hand

Releasedate: 14-02-2011; Label: Century Media
By: Elvira Visser

Finally after six years there is a new Crowbar album. The band was founded back in 1988 by Kirk Windstein. In 1991 they had their debut “Obedience Thru Suffering”, ever since then they are know for their recognizable low and slow sound of devastating heaviness. The last years Kirk has been busy with other bands as Down and Kingdon of Sorrow but never forgot Crowbar and now there is their new release “Sever The Wicked Hand”. The new album can be described as having a theme, which is all about various physical and psychological aspects of one getting sober and its process. Kirk Windstein’s wrote this album when he stopped with drugs and alcohol. In that way the album is sortof a triumph, both musically and personally. For him this way of recording was a hole new process, recording things sober. Kirk about the album: “This time it was a very different emotional experience doing it with a clear head, especially because so many lyrics on this record are very personal. I was nervous about it, but it worked out really well.”

The new lineup of this band and the personal struggles about getting somer lead to some amazing great emotional lyrics and music on this album. Which is clearly on tracks as “Isolation (Desperation)”, “Let Me Mourn” and “Cleanse me, Heal me”. The latter one being close to a ballad. It is a true Crowbar album as their mark is clearly on the music, sludge – slow and heavy riffs. Personal favourite of the album must be “The Cemetery Angels” because it is uptempo but with a dark note to it. Also quite catchy and a nice vocal melody.

LINE-UP:
Kirk Windstein – vocals, guitar
Patrick Bruders – bass
Tommy Buckley – drums
Matthew Brunson – guitar

Tracklist: 01. Isolation (Desperation) 02. Sever The Wicked Hand 03. Liquid Sky And Cold Black Earth 04. Let Me Mourn 05. The Cementery Angels 06. As I Become One 07. A Farewell To Misery 08. Protectors Of The Shrine 09. I Only Deal In Truth 10. Echo An Eternity 11. Cleanse Me, Heal Me 12. Symbiosis

Links:
Crowbar MySpace
Crowbar Official