Crowbar's latest outing, "Broken Glass", is true to the band's previous releases; once again Crowbar have released a very heavy album. Crowbar are defined by the presence of slow, brooding riffs and the fierce vocal presence of Kirk Windstein. My first few listens of the disc revealed an alarming trait. For the most part the emotion level, which stood out on other Crowbar releases, is somehow missing. While many of the songs are faster than was previously the norm, this does not go very far as song accessibility is concerned. Since the release of Crowbar's self-titled album, the band has improved in terms of musicianship. For instance, the riffs have become much more complex over the course of three albums. Unfortunately, the increasing abilities do not necessarily translate into a better album. Individual band members don't really have a chance to shine on the album, with the lack of any guitar solos being one such example. Newly incorporated into a few of the songs is the use of keyboards. Where present, the keyboard addition tends to lend atmosphere and contribute to some of the album's more somber moments.
A disturbing trend has continued since last year's release of the Down album; none of the band members subsequent albums with their regular outfits has been of the same quality as the Down CD. This was the case with Pantera, and also with CoC's new album "Wiseblood". While "Great Soutern Trendkill" and "Wiseblood" are both very good, they can't measure up to the brilliance of Down. While "Broken Glass" contains some standout songs, such as the doomy "Nothing", it is the generic quality of most of the other tracks which ultimately leads to this album's demise.
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