Review Summary: These crumbled walls will be the stones I use to bury you.
You've seen Ghost right? No, not the band – the film! You know, the one with Patrick Swayze , Demi Moore and of course, you cant leave out Whoopi Goldberg! Now, that first sentence should prompt you to hit the negative button on this review. A sludge band like Crowbar should have no ties to this cheese fest of a film, and I don’t blame you! But I'm going to force you to visualize the commingling of these two universes whether you like it or not. Do you remember that crazy looking ghost in the subway? Screw it. Vincent Schiavelli, the dude with the nightmare face. You know, the guy who knew how to make physical contact with the objects around him through the sheer force of angered will? That scene redeemed that film. It illustrated the years of cries and pleads falling upon deaf ears and what it could do to a man's spirit. The crushing loneliness. The failure to communicate one's emotions. The lack of vindication. The often overlooked difficulty of pottery! Alright, all jokes aside, that feeling of desperation, seeps through each and every song on this album. Each riff is the ghost of a man kicking a can across the subway commanding the attention of the living. You see, Crowbar has found a way to channel that negative energy into movement. Movement that is as emotional as it is spiritual. You will hear their turmoil, you will acknowledge the engine of suffering that rolls this locomotive down the tracks–albeit at a very slow speed–but that's our preferred mode of transportation around here.
The opening track, the fear that binds you, is a brilliant opener. It encapsulates the ambience that this album exudes. You are bound. The claustrophobia of life, your fears, your failures, are pulling you down like cinderblocks tied to your feet as you tread water in the rivers of existence. As you descend those watery depths, as you desperately hold your breath, you allow your lungs to expand for a final time–not to swallow water, but to scream in defiance at the hand you have been dealt. This feeling of pride and perseverance is a common theme throughout the album and shines through the murk wonderfully on the fifth track, Denial of Truth.
Denial of Truth is rather haunting. There appears to be some reverb on the vocals and the tempo is slowed down considerably. At this point of the record, this song appears to be both the anchor and the catalyst. Denial of Truth is the anchor in the sense that some of the aggression is initially tamed, but the foreboding sense of doom is never abandoned; it is the catalyst because the emotional depth which was already deeper than the Mariana Trench to begin with, is exponentially increased and caries over to the other songs that succeed it. The vibe that comes across while listening to this track is similar to those special moments when Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell would share those eerie harmonies with each other. However, the tempo does pick up considerably in the last leg of the song as Denial of Truth triumphantly transitions into a call to action. Perhaps that is the most interesting aspect of Crowbar. Despite themes that commonly revolve around the darker characteristics of humanity, there is always a sense of triumph. Like the band is fighting tooth and nail to ascend from the ashes and conquer the demons set before them. That is clearly apparent in Denial of Truth and equally visible in the slightly faster tracks like Confess to Nothing and Chemical Godz.
Aside from the musical and lyrical prowess, one of the most impressive feats of Crowbar's twelfth effort is the production and the track listing. As veterans in the industry, this comes as no surprise, but seeing how bands with much longer histories still manage to succumb to these blunders, it is a relief to see that this is not a shortcoming present on this record. The production is clean but not overly polished. You can clearly distinguish who is doing what, but none of the grime has been wiped away. The production allows the drums to triumphantly match the deep chugging riffs in a manner that compliments rather than detracts the listeners attention. Honestly, its very hard to figure out which part of the song is making you headbang, is it the insanely catchy riffs or those perfectly timed and controlled drum fills? A perfect example of said drum fills can be found in seventh track It's Always Worth The Gain. The elements of sludge are still present in this song, but it really is just a straight up Rock and Roll track through and through. Even though the track is enjoyable, it does feel a bit out of place. However, that's not necessarily a knock. It awakens the listeners attention much in the same way that Denial of Truth does. In fact, this song being placed in the seventh slot on this record was an intelligent move. So, is Crowbar able to wrap a bow around this behemoth of a gift?
The final track is the title track. Zero and Below is a fitting name for the album and it’s a fitting closer for this monumental record. Zero and Below is a slower track instrumentally and vocally. Windstein's vocals have always been pushed from the deepest recesses of his being, but on Zero and Below he manages to dig in even deeper. The electric guitar melodies slowly and carefully transition into a nice acoustic tune to carry this dreary closer to its final resting place, your blown out ear drums.
Crowbar may not have broken new ground with this release, but they sure put every ounce of humanity into it. I think that’s really the only thing I'm looking for when it comes to a Crowbar record and I think that's really all they're trying to do. Mission accomplished.
