Crowbar
Equilibrium

A suffocating closed room. No escape. An attack of claustrophobia. Nausea.

This is the sound of Crowbar, compact, oppressive, sludge metal with strong doom tendencies and southern and stoner influences.

For the more sensitive stomachs, an entire jar of digestive aids would be needed to swallow this indigestible morsel called "Equilibrium," and even for fans of a certain type of metal, the obsessive slowness of the tracks could make the album seem like a "brick," but those looking for a good dose of negativity and despair combined with an impenetrable wall of guitar riffs (admirable) set on rocky mid-tempos will find this work by Kirk Windstein's band just the thing.

Moreover, even though it is not "extreme," because today the word "extreme" is easily associated with black metal and brutal, Crowbar's sound is among the heaviest around: a voice so deep and cavernous is worth the growl of all brutal singers, guitars so massive, riffs carved in stone, and a hallucinatory and nauseating slowness present in the songs are more extreme (and hard to listen to) than the extreme speed showcased by the groups today defined as "extreme," who just need goats, pentagrams, and hymns to the devil to easily impress the audience.

Musically, the album does not present great novelties compared to its predecessors, but Crowbar is a group above innovation, they play the genre of which they are flag bearers with heart, and even if they stayed another ten years in the scene, they would continue to produce obsessive riffs and desperate cries. And that's not a bad thing: we are not facing ostentatious displays of genius and excess, but musicians with seemingly straightforward views and a precise approach to music, so much so that they don't indulge in virtuosity and frills in their works, although they are perfectly capable of it (Windstein showcases splendid solos in Down).

The recording is not the best, unfortunately: the cymbals of the drums sometimes create an annoying background hiss, and at certain points, the guitars are not very clear. However, this is not a reason not to listen to the album.

"Equilibrium" opens with the riff of "I Feel The Burning Sun": the opener is a classic kick in the ass, usual initial mid-tempo, rough singing but without exaggeration, chorus with strong doom influences, ending among the slowest in the history of music; "Equilibrium" is instead more accelerated during the main riff but slows down in the verses. Windstein's vocal line is beautiful. Halfway through, a new massive riff emerges, requiring a massive mid-tempo and repeating until the end of the song, becoming more and more of an obsession. The riff of "Glass full of Liquid Pain" strongly recalls the style of Dimebag Darrell and cannot help being one of the best riffs on the album; in "Command of My Self" three minutes of pure agony accompany the listener, "Down into The Rotting Earth" is a powerhouse: massive riff, fast drum tempo, and Windstein's piercing scream shattering speaker cones: one of the singer's best vocal performances and one of the most powerful songs on the record, with the usual extremely slow and oppressive interlude leading to a finale where light finally emerges, with an almost tear-jerking melody.

"To touch The Hand Of God" is a track apart: it begins with a piano providing a sense of tranquility and calm, and then resembles a kind of sung prayer, with a truly splendid vocal line supported by piano chords. Following is a kicking and driving track: "Uncovering", with drums bordering on hardcore, Kirk's desperate and confused screams, great work from the drummer in the central part of the piece. "Buried Once Again" is more melodic, the riffs are softer, and the drums less driving; "Things You Can’t Understand" and "Euphoria Minus One" reaffirm who is the best sludge group on the face of the Earth, and the concluding "Dream Weaver" is a bit similar to "Buried Once Again" but contains more ties with doom; Windstein's singing is excellent.

Incapable of disappointing.