Crippled Black Phoenix

The Profile

Crippled Black Phoenix is a British rock collective formed in 2004 by Justin Greaves. With collaborators from bands such as Mogwai, Electric Wizard, Pantheist and Gonga, the group blends post‑rock, prog, folk and doom into brooding ‘endtime ballads’. Key releases include A Love of Shared Disasters, The Resurrectionists/Night Raider and I, Vigilante.

Formed by Justin Greaves (UK) with early contributors including Dominic Aitchison (Mogwai) and members tied to Electric Wizard, Pantheist and Gonga. Debut album A Love of Shared Disasters (2006) appeared via Geoff Barrow’s Invada. The double-set The Resurrectionists/Night Raider was also distilled as 200 Tons of Bad Luck. I, Vigilante (2010) features covers of Journey’s Of a Lifetime and The Mike Curb Congregation’s Burning Bridges. Live shows in 2007 included Italian dates.

Reviews portray Crippled Black Phoenix as a shape-shifting British collective blending post-rock, prog, and folk into ‘endtime ballads’. The Resurrectionists/Night Raider is praised as a rich, labyrinthine double set; I, Vigilante is tighter and heavier, crowned by Bastogne Blues. A 2007 Italian gig shows their raw, Pink Floyd-leaning power. One dissenting voice finds the debut atmospheric but dull.