Welcome back
This is the blue-collar approach to the expensive catharsis sought by Metallica with their therapist-cum-wannabe songwriter over the course of recording St.Anger/Some Kind of Monster. There is a lot of pain, recrimination and ultimately gratitude and redemption seeping through the sludge and granite flecked landscape of Crowbar's ninth record - "Sever the Wicked Hand". The band has been away for a several years as Kirk Weinstein played in Down and Kingdom of Sorrow but they're still refreshingly heavy with their renowned down-tuned, lumbering riffs mixed up with touches of classic rock and some, whisper it, quieter moments too.
Thematically this record comes from leader Kirk Weinstein's experiences pre and post rehab in 2010 and covers three important aspects of that experience: recognising his problems, accepting the fight and moving onwards and upwards. The stint obviously led to some serious reflection as the album's lyrics are most personal and don't mince their words for a second, even if they never stray too far from traditional metal imagery. Opening track 'Isolation (Desperation)' is classic Crowbar: a massive riff allied to a parsimonious rhythm and bile filled lyrics. Title track 'Sever the Wicked Hand' quickens the pace with lyrics urging strength and control "You'll never feel this way/Just let it go and it will end". Key tracks 'Liquid Sky', 'Cold Black Earth' and 'Let Me Mourn' follow soon after and let the listener into Weinstein's headspace, "Things are not what they should be/Broken soul has been set free...Now the tears have dried and gone, living for the golden dawn". These songs also bring the doom as the riffs darken and slow down, Tony Buckley's drums begin to shudder and pound in the middle-ground and any light is obscured by heavy clouds. 'The Cemetery Angels' is a dirty slab of fast punk-metal and seriously grooves before a massive bearded, tattooed breakdown barges its way in.
'As I Become One' and the quieter, more atmospheric 'A Farewell to Misery' alternate between softly spoken reflection and spittle coated exhortations as they chart Weinstein's recovery. "Reinventing the man you all thought was gone...soul tasting new life." Enough said. 'As I Become One' rages before taking us down a notch with picked guitars and wailing feedback blending into a Thin Lizzy style guitar twang before finally re-emerging in riff land. Piano appears on the instrumental 'A Farewell to Misery', a forlorn yet pretty song. The atmosphere can become oppressive and repetitive but hey, this is Crowbar for feck's sake – it was never going to be an easy listen. Elemental and relentless sounds are the name of the game here. 'Protector of the Shrine' doesn't piss about as it takes a detour from the odyssey of recovery to rail at those 'inside the shrine' oppressing the lumpen masses. 'I Only Deal in Truth' is similarly frank: "Now the past is gone and I'm about to explode! I need to bury this!" The record ends pretty damn impressively with the trademark stomp and Southern fried Sabbath riffs all present and correct in 'Cleanse Me, Heal Me' and 'Symbiosis'.
When Kirk was describing the record he put it simply: "It's just Crowbar. It's heavy. It's aggressive. It's dark. It's fast at times. It's very melodic and super doom metal at times." "Sever the Wicked Hand" has lived up to that statement and more. A very welcome return.