Crowbar (U.S. band)

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Crowbar is an American doom / sludge metal band from Louisiana, characterized by their extremely slow, low-keyed, heavy and brooding songs that also contain fast hardcore punk passages.

Starting in 1989 and taking its name from the Crowbar group in NOLA (New Orleans), Kirk Windstein went on to pioneer slow and heavy music with a unique vocal style and hardcore punk influences that resulted in fast passages uncharacteristic of traditional doom metal. Their first album, Obedience Through Suffering was released in 1991, but failed to achieve notoriety. By 1993's self-titled (Crowbar) album, personal friend Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Down and Superjoint Ritual) produced the record, which eventually led to national promotion on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. Phil sang back up on a few tracks and sang background on "Broken Glass" which rounded out the songs "All I Had (I Gave)," "I Have Failed" and "Existence is Punishment" along with a new take on the Led Zeppelin song "No Quarter." Following this success the band went on to record music videos, embark on major tours with Pantera, and record more albums. Their stage antics, immortalized in the Pantera "Home Video 3" and Crowbar's "Like Broken" home video, became infamous.

As time moved on the band lost its founding members with the exception of vocalist and guitarist Kirk Windstein. After Todd Strange left the band, the trademark 300 pound + band members slimmed down, leaving the heaviness in the music only. The band continues to perform, borrowing members from NOLA metal bands like Goatwhore and Acid Bath. In their recent 2005 release, Life's Blood for the Downtrodden, Pantera bassist Rex Brown lent his bass skills and keyboard playing. Down's producer, Warren Riker, assisted in production.

Contents

[edit] Current members

[edit] Former members

[edit] Trivia

  • The videos for "All I Had (I Gave)" and "Existence is Punishment" appeared on Beavis and Butthead. Butthead commented that Kirk Windstein's face looked like he was sitting on the toilet. "Existence" appears on the Beavis and Butt-Head: The Mike Judge Collection #3 DVD.
  • The band was notorious for redifining the word "heavy" in a different sense: During Sexy T's and Jimmy Bower's time in the band, the mass weight of the band members was well over 800 pounds (close to half a ton).

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Album Cover Date of Release Title Label Chart positions US sales
September 26, 1991 Obedience Through Suffering Pavement Records
October 12, 1993 Crowbar

(Produced by Phil Anselmo)

 Pavement Records 100,000
March 29, 1994 Live +1 (EP) Pavement Records
May 23, 1995 Time Heals Nothing Pavement Records
October 29, 1996 Broken Glass Pavement Records
July 7, 1998 Odd Fellows Rest Pavement Records
March 7, 2000 Equilibrium Spitfire Records
August 8, 2001 Sonic Excess in Its Purest Form Spitfire Records
February 8, 2005 Life's Blood for the Downtrodden

(Produced by Warren Riker)

 Candlelight Records

[edit] Music videos

  • 1993 Crowbar - "All I Had (I Gave)"
  • 1993 Crowbar - "Existence Is Punishment"
  • 1995 Crowbar - "Like Broken" (Full Length Home Video)
  • 1995 Crowbar - "The Only Factor"
  • 1996 Crowbar - "Broken Glass"
  • 2005 Crowbar - "Dead Sun"
  • 2005 Crowbar - "Lasting Dose"
  • 2005 Crowbar - "Slave No More" (Filmed in Miami, Florida on June 21, 2005 and directed by John-Martin Vogel)

[edit] Home Videos

Video Cover Date of Release Title Label Chart positions US sales
1995 Crowbar Like Broken (VHS) (90 minutes)

(European tour and recording sessions for "Broken Glass")

 Pavement Records Only sold at concerts
1997 Pantera 3: Watch it Go (VHS)

Crowbar appearances and Kirk as the incredible Hulk

 Elektra Records
1999 Pantera's 3 Vulgar Videos from Hell (DVD)

Crowbar appearances and Kirk as the incredible Hulk

 Elektra Records

[edit] External links

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