Crowbar

Bands as one-dimensional as Crowbar usually don't deserve much recommendation, but when stylistic imperatives are mastered so thoroughly, even the most single-minded deserve credit and respect. Crowbar will never get any credit for subtlety or diversity, yet they are one of heavy music's most obscure and delightful gems. Purity has its value, and New Orleans' all-time sludgiest exports have plenty of it on display within each of their recordings, and this eponymous second full-length from the group is no exception. Released in 1993, Crowbar features a lineup of Kirk Windstein on guitars and vocals, Craig Nunemacher on drums, Matt Thomas on guitar, and bassist Todd Strange. It's hard to pick any superior songs from the track list, as each is nearly identical in its dirge-riff absolutism and lyrical negativity. They're all completely uncompromising and catchy in a slowed-down Black Sabbath-meets-Melvins-meets-Pantera kind of way. Crowbar isn't for everybody, but fans of the band or listeners fond of anything that values heaviness above all else will enjoy this solid offering.