Crowbar (US band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Crowbar


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Origin = New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Genre = Sludge metal
Doom metal
Years_active = 1989–present (2001-2003 on hiatus)
Label = Zoo
Associated_acts = Acid Bath, Black Label Society, Corrosion of Conformity, Down, Eyehategod, Kingdom of Sorrow, Pantera, Superjoint Ritual, Valume Nob
URL = [http://www.crowbarmusic.com/ www.crowbarmusic.com]
Current_members = Kirk Windstein
Steve Gibb
Patrick Bruders
Tommy Buckley
Past_members = Todd "Sexy T" Strange
Craig Nunenmacher
Kevin Noonan
Matt Thomas
Jimmy Bower
Sammy Duet
Tony Costanza
Rex Brown
Notable_instruments =

Crowbar is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana, characterized by their extremely slow, low-keyed, heavy and brooding songs that also contain fast hardcore punk passages. Crowbar is considered to be one of the most influential metal bands to come out of the NOLA metal scene.

Origins

The band originates back to 1988, when Kirk Windstein joined the premiere hardcore punkband Shell Shock at the time in New Orleans. [http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=100460] He there met Jimmy Bower, who was their drummer, and both quickly became friends. The band collapsed, when Mike Hatch, their guitarist commited suicide in late 1988. The band, replacing Hatch with Kevin Noonan, carried on as Aftershock [http://www.nolaunderground.com/rip.html#4] , where Windstein and Bower began to play low-tuned hardcore punk mixed with doom metal. Under that name they released a demo in mid-1989, and then renamed themselves into WREQIUEM, with Mike Savoie, their bassist leaving the band (He went on to direct music videos for Crowbar, Down, and Pantera), and Todd Strange joined them. Then in 1990 they renamed themselves to The Slugs, and having released the demo in mid-1990, the band collapsed. Kirk considered becoming the guitarist for Exhorder. But Kirk and Todd reformed the band, with Craig Nunenmacher as the drummer, and Kevin Noonan again on guitar. The band renamed themselves into Crowbar in mid-1991. [http://www.nolaunderground.com/rip.html#1]

History

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. In addition, the videos for "All I Had (I Gave)" and "Existence is Punishment" were played on Beavis and Butthead. 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 Glass" home video, became infamous. The band continued recording and touring. In 1994, the Pantera video for the song 'I'm Broken' showed Philip Anselmo wears a Crowbar / Eyehategod t-shirt. Original drummer Craig Nunenmacher left the band in 1996 and was replaced by Jimmy Bower from Down and Eyehategod, and for their 1996 release Anselmo sang back up on a few tracks on "Broken Glass."

In 2000, after recording and releasing "Equilibrium" with Sid Montz on drums, original drummer Craig Nunenmacher rejoined the band, for the "Penchant For Violence Tour" with "the Brotherhood of Brewtality" Black Label Society and Sixty Watt Shaman. Half way through the tour, Nunenmacher replaced BLS's drummer Phil Ondich and pulled double duty for the rest of the tour, eventually joining BLS permanently.

The band continues to perform, borrowing members from NOLA metal bands like Goatwhore and Acid Bath. In their recent 2005 release, "Lifesblood for the Downtrodden", Pantera bassist Rex Brown lent his bass skills and keyboard playing. Down's producer, Warren Riker, assisted in production.

Also in 2005, "Existence" appeared on the #3 DVD.

In March 2008 it was announced that their albums — "Crowbar" (1993), "Time Heals Nothing" (1995) and "Live+1" EP (1995) will be reissued in Europe on April 21, 2008 with bonus and multimedia tracks. [cite news | url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=93299 | title=CROWBAR Albums To Be Reissued | publisher=Blabbermouth.net |date= March 20, 2008 | first= | last= | accessdate =2007-05-17]

The band is also known for covering other band's material and putting a heavy spin on it. Crowbar covers Gary Wright's, "Dream Weaver", on their Equilibrium album and Iron Maiden's "Remember Tomorrow" on "Odd Fellows Rest", and Led Zeppelins "No Quarter" on "Crowbar".

Kirk also claims that there will be a new album next year and an endless tour as 2009 marks the 20th anniversary for Crowbar. [http://www.crowbarboard.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2253]

Members

Current members

*Kirk Windstein - vocals and guitars (1989–present) (Down and Kingdom of Sorrow)
*Steve Gibb (son of Barry Gibb) - guitars and backing vocals (2004–present) Kingdom of Sorrow and Black Label Society
*Patrick Bruders - bass guitar (2005–present) (Goatwhore)
*Tommy Buckley - drums (2005–present) (Soilent Green and Christ Inversion)

Former members

*Mike Savoie - bass guitar (1989)
*Todd "Sexy T" Strange - bass guitar (1989–2000)
*Wayne "Doobie" Fabra - drums (1991)
*Travis - guitars (1991)
*Craig Nunenmacher - drums (1991–1995, 2000, 2004 - 2005) (Black Label Society)
*Kevin Noonan - guitars (1989–1990, 1991-1993)
*Matt Thomas - guitars (1993–1997)
*Jay Abbene - guitars (filled in for some shows at the end of 1996) (Wrathchild America)
*Jimmy Bower - drums (1989-1990, 1996–1998) (Eyehategod, Down, Superjoint Ritual, and Corrosion of Conformity)
*Sammy Duet - guitars (1998–2002) (Acid Bath, Goatwhore)
*Sid Montz - drums (2000)
*Tony Costanza - drums (2001)
*Rex Brown - bass guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboard (2004-2005) (Pantera, Down)

Discography

Demos

*"Aftershock" (1989, Self-released)
*"Slugs" (1990, Self-released)

Albums

*"Obedience Through Suffering" (September 26, 1991, Pavement Records)
*"Crowbar" (October 12, 1993, Pavement Records)
*"Live +1(EP)" (March 29th, 1994, Pavement Records)
*"Time Heals Nothing" (May 23, 1995, Pavement Records)
*"Broken Glass" (October 29, 1996, Pavement Records)
*"Odd Fellows Rest" (July 7, 1998, Pavement Records)
*"Equilibrium" (March 7, 2000, Spitfire Records)
*"Sonic Excess in its Purest Form" (August 8, 2001, Spitfire Records)
*"Lifesblood for the Downtrodden" (February 8, 2005, Candlelight Records)

Music videos

*"Subversion" (1991)
*"All I Had (I Gave)" (1993)
*"Existence Is Punishment" (1993)
*"The Only Factor" (1995)
*"Broken Glass" (1996)
*"Like Broken" (Full Length Home Video) (1997)
*"I Feel the Burning Sun" (2000)
*"Dead Sun" (2005) (Filmed in Miami, Florida around August 2004 and directed by John-Martin Vogel and Robert Lisman)
*"Lasting Dose" (live) (2005)
*"Planets Collide" (live) (2005)
*"Scattered Pieces Lay" (live) (2005)
*"Slave No More" (2005) (Filmed in Miami, Florida on June 21, 2005 and directed by John-Martin Vogel and Robert Lisman)

References

ee also

*Music of New Orleans‎

External links

* [http://www.crowbarmusic.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.candlelightrecords.co.uk Candle Light Records] Current Label
* [http://www.nolaunderground.com NOLA Underground Music Scene]