Crowbar – Lifesblood for the Downtrodden
Candlelight Records – February 8th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
The southern United States, as you are aware, is greatly responsible for most of the quality sludge that arises from the Americas.
Crowbar, one of the pioneers of that sound, have managed to return with
Lifesblood for the Downtrodden. Apparently, the swamps contain as many quagmires as they used to, because traversing any Southern album is likely to put one in the way of marshy production and guitar tones that sound as if they first traversed through a bog before being recorded. Like any of the geographical features mentioned in the previous sentence,
Crowbar’s most recent offering yields similar results: good luck enjoying the
whole journey through; you’re bound to get stuck in some spots.
I’d have to laugh if anyone could muster the phrase “triumphant return” when referring to “New Dawn.” The requisite elements are there, but it just feels overly apathetic. “Slave No More” utilizes a heftier attitude, and the hoarse vocalizations are at home in this composition. “Angel’s Wings” goes kind of haywire, but does have a penchant for transitioning between boil and simmer. The constant tempo changes, thankfully, aren’t as grating as others I’ve heard before. “Coming Down” reminds me of
Pantera, which is obviously no coincidence seeing as how all the Southern bands are quite incestuous and share similar influences. “Fall Back to Zero” likes to grapple with the slower, softer aspect of music. “Underworld,” however, is back at the grind and represents most of what can be found within
Lifesblood for the Downtrodden. Notable are the parts when the guitars pull out of the mix entirely leaving the rhythm duties strictly to the drums. “Dead Sun,” “Holding Something,” and “Moon” are all stereotypical, sludge songs. “The Violent Reaction” ironically commences with a fade-in. Luckily, the structure pans out for the better, though. “Lifesblood” is serene, and its length can be somewhat taxing; your patience is going to be tested on the last track.
Lifesblood for the Downtrodden is honestly far from exemplary in my opinion. I’d suggest hitting up
Pantera,
Acid Bath,
Down, and/or
Eyehategod if you absolutely need a dose of grit-infused metal. But, I stopped waving my Dixie flag a long time ago.
7/10
Official Crowbar website
Official Candlelight Records website
