Crowbar - _Equilibrium_
(Spitfire, 2000)
by: Paul Schwarz (9 out of 10)
For their sixth(!) record Crowbar have essentially played things a bit safe. This is not to say that they have slacked-up; their steady (out)flow of quality sludge-ridden, Sabbath-rooted heavy and moving metal tirades has not halted or even slowed its course. The likes of "I Feel the Burning Sun", "Equilibrium", "Down Into the Rotting Earth" or "Euphoria Minus One" riff it up with the style and tugging groove the band have always been capable of delivering, while "Command of Myself" and rich, melody-soaked closer "Dreamweaver" pay lip service to the melodic developments which blossomed so beautifully on their 1998 _Odd Fellows Rest_ record [CoC #33]. In fact, _Equilibrium_ may even be a more complete record than _Odd Fellows Rest_: I can't quite decide. However, though its songwriting quality is hard to fault, _Equilibrium_ deserves some scrutiny for its lack of daring. This is the sense in which Crowbar have played things safe. I almost went as far as to downgrade them to a merely impressive 8.5 for their unwillingness to take another leap on top of _Odd Fellows Rest_'s bound, but that wouldn't really have done them justice. This is a cool record, if you're a fan you'll definitely be more than satisfied, and if you haven't yet got a Crowbar record, or haven't -got- the band up 'til, now then this is, if you'll pardon the pun, the best thing to weigh up the situation with. _Equilibrium_ exploits all the band's previously-known and well-loved talents.
(article published 25/5/2000)
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