CROWBAR

Zero And Below (MNRK)

Celebrating 30 years in the game recently, NOLA sludge legends Crowbar return with another collection of gargantuan riffs from the master of misery himself Kirk Windstein. Zero And Below offers absolutely nothing new, but therein lies the band’s continued appeal: Windstein’s tortured vocals are the perfect accompaniment to his brand of slow methodical riffing and nobody does it better.

They do deviate back to their early days, when they teased some hardcore influences, with the upbeat thrashing of Bleeding From Every Hole – but apart from that, it’s another sludge metal masterclass. Zero And Below is not groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, just another solid Crowbar album, to add to an already consistent back catalogue. If you are already a fan of the band, then you won’t be disappointed.

words CHRIS ANDREWS