“Heavy Rain” – Crawl
A lot of good heavy metal bands have that one-word “thump” of a title that hits you just as heavily as the music it produces. Bands like Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Motörhead, Anthrax, Death, Slipknot, etc. have that big bold word that in so few words, shouts its impression. Crawl follows this tradition, and this July you can hear them roar with their latest release The Crockford Files (2016).
Formed in 1992, Crawl soon came to prominence in Canada’s heavy metal scene, getting Best Hard Rock nominations for the Much Music Awards in 1994 and ’95 with their debut recordings in their Feed CD. Anticipate The Fall (2014) came as their latest recording as a quartet, seeing the talents of bassist Scott Clark, guitarist Stuart Green, drummer Tom Grondin, and vocalist Michael David Wolf. With this crew of reverb-heavy badasses, we’ve got something new to bang our heads to.
Consistent with Crawl’s specialty, The Crockford Files (2016) brings in hard rock with angsty themes blasted through a rip-roaring guitar and a relentlessly chugging drum. If you want a sound to compare them to, they’re a lot like a more Canadiana Breaking Benjamin and Seether. So essentially, they fit the bill of Three Days Grace right from the get-go with their leading track “Mine”.
I thought “Heavy Rain” to be the strongest track for knowing exactly when to flare up and when to cool down, perfectly epitomizing the rest of the album. This track, however, does it while sporting the “fuck off” attitude and playing filters (but not abusing the hell out of them like some bands tend to). “Bangladesh” comes as a close second with the uniquely grim style that felt a little Eastern in a strange way (like the title suggests). There’s agony in its drawn-out vocal choruses and power in the pain it presents.
Run over to Crawl’s official website to help spread the word. To hear their stuff, check them out on Bandcamp and Soundcloud. For upcoming tour dates and releases, go on their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @crawlrocks.