What is the common denominator shared by Pantera, Down, Eyehategod and Corrosion of Conformity? Right, Crowbar. Their singular combination of molasses-paced doom metal and the unfiltered, all-out onslaught of hardcore punk immediately hit a nerve with their debut ‘Obedience thru Suffering’ (1991), which laid the groundwork for the more intricate efforts to follow. It soon became obvious that Kirk Windstein in particular is a gifted songsmith and over the next few albums Crowbar perfected their sound, culminating in their most varied and energetic songwriting on ‘Odd Fellows Rest’ (1998) and Equilibrium (2000). Crowbar kept perfecting their doom/sludge/hardcore combination and continued to gain notoriety thanks to extensive touring. ‘Sever the Wicked Hand’ (2011) features some of the band’s most intense songwriting, with Windstein’s then new-found sobriety inspiring such tracks as ‘A Farewell to Misery’ and ‘Cleanse Me, Heal Me’. Just recently they sold out Trix in Antwerp with Sacred Reich and Sepultura and they show no signs of slowing down. On the contrary, their latest spawn ‘Zero and Below’ features a band that is still on top of its game with several cuts befitting of such landmark albums as the aforementioned ‘Odd Fellows Rest’ and ‘Sonic Excess in Its Purest Form’. #GMM23