Crowbar
was never afraid to share their pain, and
Time Heals Nothing
exemplifies the New Orleans doom purveyor's well-practiced aching out loud. The final recording before a series of lineup changes and side projects tested the band's focus, this disc might qualify as the sludge rocker's most punishing collection. Songs like
"Through a Wall of Tears"
typify the depressing, densely textured morass that the group's small but loyal following spent almost a decade wallowing in.
's ten tracks could possibly sound nondistinct to new listeners. Patient fans, however, are rewarded by
's uniquely catchy tunes after repeated listening. The interesting melodies that emerge from singer/guitarists
Kirk Windstein
's damaged vocal chords are surprisingly hummable. Pulling double-duty,
Windstein
(along with co-guitarist
Matt Thomas
) crafts the thickest of sludge-guitar grooves that nicely complement the vocals and
Craig Nunemacher
's solid drumming. Bitter howling and the thickest of slow-
metal
riffing combine to make this 1995
Zoo
release as powerful as any of the band's attempts at sour self-evisceration. ~ Vincent Jeffries