Crowbar

Crowbar
Background information
Also known as	1988-1989 (as Aftershock) 1989 (as Wrequiem) 1989-1990 (as The Slugs)
Origin	New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Genres	Sludge Metal, Southern Metal
Years active	1990 - Present
Labels	Pavement Music, Mayhem Records, Spitfire Records, Candlelight Records, eOne, Century Media, Steamhammer
Associated acts	Kingdom of Sorrow, Down, Eyehategod, Soilent Green, The Mystick Crewe of Clearlight, Corrosion of Conformity, Acid Bath, Debris Inc., Outlaw Order, Saint Vitus, Lord Dying, Superjoint Ritual, Christ Inversion, Drip, Valüme Nob, Shell Shock, Victorian Blitz, Exhorder, Graveyard Rodeo, Prong, Razor White, Black Label Society, Goatwhore, Vual, Pantera, Machine Head, Six Feet Under, The Bee Gees
Website	Crowbar NOLA
Band Logo

Crowbar are an American sludge metal band, formed in 1990 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Created from the wake of Aftershock and The Slugs, Crowbar are distinctive low-end brooding mix of hardcore punk and doom metal with Kirk Windstein's gruff, sorrowful vocal delivery. Crowbar, along with Melvins, Eyehategod and Acid Bath, are considered to be pioneers in the genre of sludge.

History

A Precursor to Crowbar: Aftershock and The Slugs (1988 - 1990)

The band dates back to 1988, when Kirk Windstein joined the premiere hardcore punk band Shell Shock in New Orleans. He met Jimmy Bower, who was their drummer, and both quickly became friends. The band collapsed when Mike Hatch, their guitarist, committed suicide in late 1988 (some Pantera fans believe that this was the inspiration for the song "Hollow" from their 1992 album Vulgar Display of Power). The band, replacing Hatch with Kevin Noonan, carried on as Aftershock, 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 Wrequiem, 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 The Slugs, and released a demo in mid-1990, but the band collapsed. Windstein considered becoming the guitarist for Exhorder. But he and Strange reformed the band, with Craig Nunenmacher as the drummer, who was later replaced by Tommy Buckley (Soilent Green), and Kevin Noonan again on guitar. The band renamed themselves Crowbar in mid-1991.

The Pavement Music Years (1991 - 1997)

Crowbar's debut studio album Obedience Thru Suffering was released on 26 September 1991 through Pavement Music but didn't attain much in terms of sales or airplay. Still the band soldiered on, touring throughout the USA and eventually in Europe in 1992 with the likes of Cathedral, Napalm Death, The Obsessed and Trouble. Kevin Noonan would also depart and be replaced by Matt Thomas.

Working with a dear friend in the NOLA scene in one Phil Anselmo the band would start work on their second album, releasing the self-titled album Crowbar on 12 October 1993. Videos for "All I Had (I Gave)" and "Existence Is Punishment" got airplay on Headbangers Ball and on Beavis and Butt-head, along with Anselmo's association, got the band new attention and a new fanbase. Touring Europe in 1993 with Eyehategod and later Biohazard, the band would spend the road throughout 1994 in the United States with Pantera and then back to Europe with Paradise Lost. Touring with Testament in 1995 and then Cathedral, Anathema and Paradise Lost. later that year, Crowbar would also release their third studio album Time Heals Nothing on 23 May 1995 to positive reviews. A fourth album entitled Broken Glass would quickly follow on 7 September 1996, with Crowbar as part of Napalm Death's "Dia Tribe" tour some months prior. Founding drummer Craig Nunenmacher would then depart and was replaced by Jimmy Bower.

In 1997 the band's backstage antics would be documented in Pantera's Home Video 3 and their own home video in the form of Like Broken, also featuring music videos, tour footage and the recording sessions for Broken Glass, was released in 1997. Crowbar would leave Pavement Music and sign to Spitfire late in that year, also attaining a new guitarist in one Sammy Pierre Duet.

Odd Fellows Rest: The Spitfire Years (1998 - 2001)

Crowbar would release their fifth album via Spitfire on 6 July 1998: Odd Fellows Rest. Praised by metal critics and a fan favorite, they would tour the USA in support of the album and appear at various underground festivals such as Milwaukee Metalfest, World Series of Metal and Titans of the Underground among others. Crowbar would tour Europe alongside Bolt Thrower that next January before embarking on The Killith Fair tour that fall. Jimmy Bower would eventually depart from the group to concentrate on Eyehategod in early 2000, with Sid Montz as his replacement. Nunemacher would rejoin the group in time for a 2000 tour with Black Label Society but ultimately join BLS by the end of the tour.

Crowbar, Eyehategod and Soilent Green would follow with the South Shall Rise Again Tour 2000 that year, Crowbar themselves touring in support of their sixth album Equilibrium. With a USA tour following the band saw somewhat of a major lineup change, with Todd Strange and Sid Montz leaving and Jeff Okoneski and Tony Costanza replacing them, specifically in recording for Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form, released 21 August 2001 and a host of world touring around the USA and Europe surrounding it. With Down's second album Down II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow being in the works and that band aiming to tour more heavily, Crowbar would take a hiatus of sorts. Sammy Duet would also depart to concentrate on Goatwhore.

Lifesblood For The Downtrodden (2003 - 2009)

Kirk Windstein would announce a new Crowbar album was in the works on 7 January 2003 By the summer it would be announced that Rex Brown (Pantera, Down) would produce the record and play bass with founding drummer Craig Nunenmacher returning to the group.. Though rumors had been abound that Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity, Down) might join as a second guitarist it would later be revealed that Steve Gibb (formerly of Black Label Society) would join as the second guitarist, along with an announcement of the band's first shows since 2001 in the form of a European tour.

With a tentative title of You Don't Need An Enemy To Have A War the album's title would be changed to Lifesblood For The Downtrodden as the record itself was finished by December 2003, while the band searched for a label to release it. After a canceled tour with Kataklysm and a tour of Europe with Hatesphere in 2004 Crowbar would sign with Candlelight Records. Lifesblood For the Downtrodden would be released on 8 February 2005 to critical acclaim and positive praise among fans. The band, after gaining a new rhythm section in Tommy Buckley and Pat Bruders, would tour heavily throughout 2005 in support of the record alongside the likes of Hatebreed, Corrosion of Conformity, Alabama Thunderpussy and Weedeater among others. Crowbar would be in the process of working on a second music video in support of Lifesblood ("Slave No More") when Hurrican Katrina struck. Despite the setbacks the band were able to participate in Hatebreed's tenth anniversary show in New Haven.

The band would tour the UK again in 2006 and take a bit of a hiatus. As Down would tour in support of Down III a live DVD of Crowbar entitled Live: With Full Force saw release via Candlelight on 12 February 2007 and Windstein would also begin a sludgecore side-project with Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed) known as Kingdom of Sorrow. Crowbar would play Eyehategod's 20th Anniversary Show in NOLA, which also coincided on the 3rd anniversary of Katrina. Crowbar would play sporadically in this time, notably at Stillborn Fest in December 2009. Steve Gibb would leave the group amicably on 24 December 2009 with Matthew Brunson as his replacement.

Sever The Wicked Hand (2010 - 2013)

Crowbar would sign to eOne Music on 14 June 2010, in between extensive touring all into the Summer, starting with supporting Sepultura that April, A summer European tour and a Fall North American tour alongside Black Tusk, their first headlining tour in over five years. The band's ninth album Sever The Wicked Hand saw release on 8 February 2011 to further critical acclaim, debuting at #172 on the Billboard 200 with 3,600 copies sold in it's first week. Crowbar would tour the Spring of 2011 the UK in support of the record and participate in the Metalliance Tour with Helmet and Saint Vitus that May. Going into 2012 the band would participate in the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise, tour the USA with Prong and then Europe through the summer in between touring with Down.

2013 would see a host of changes for the band. Pat Bruders would quit Crowbar on 2 September. Within the month the band would find a new bassist after "100s of video auditions" in Jeff Golden, announced on 30 September. The next day, Windstein would announce he was leaving Down to concentrate full time on Crowbar, working on the tenth studio album in the process. Crowbar would close out that year participating in the inaugural Housecore Horror Fest along with a short North American tour.

Symmetry In Black and The Serpent Only Lies (2014 - Present)

Now signed to Century Media, Crowbar prepared new singles in "Isolation" and "Walk With Knowledge Wisely" along with an extensive European tour (Including appearances at Roadburn Festival, Black Country Metal Fest and Durbuy Rock among others) leading up to the release of their tenth album. Symmetry in Black was released on 26 May 2014, with immediate surrounding shows being appearances at Scion RockFest and Maryland Deathfest, the latter attaining a bit of controversy when a fan jumped onstage and Windstein kicking the fan in the head after security had taken the fan to the ground. Kirk stated the following on stage and then followed up with an official statement the next day:

“	"Stop this fucking song! I'm so sick of this shit. You've got motherfuckers like Randy Blythe — nicest motherfucking guy in the world. Some asshole goes into his office, fucks his fucking world up, and the guy almost goes to prison in a foreign fucking country. [Pointing at audience] Who does what for a living? Do I go into your office and fuck your computer up? No. You know why? I respect you and I love you. Thank you. A lot of people think I'm a dick, go suck one, motherfucker. This is about respect. My eyes are closed, I'm playing my goddamn heart out. You could have broken every fucking tooth in my mouth. Thank you, security." "In regards to the fan jumping onstage during our set at Maryland Death Fest. The MDF organizers/venue do not allow fans to run on stage uninvited. That's their policy. They had barriers and security in plain sight to prevent that. If someone chooses to go against their policy, I have no control over that and at a show like this I'm not expecting anyone to run onto the stage, especially during Planets Collide. So I'm rocking out, my eyes are closed and then I guess security tackled the fan into me. I was already on edge having driven 15 hours straight through the night without sleep to play the gig. We had no back up guitars or techs with us so If we broke a guitar or even a string, the set would have been seriously delayed or ended. At shows WITHOUT security or barricades if you decide to run on stage or dive off it, at least be respectful, get up and dive off and try not to hit into the band or break their gear and try not to break your neck or the neck of someone else. Thanks for understanding!"	”
	— Kirk Windstein, Maryland Deathfest / Official Statement via CrowbarNOLA, sourced from Lambgoat]

Nonetheless the band would soldier on with two North American tours in support of Symmetry in Black that year as the album sold 4000 copies in it's first week and peaking at #68 on the Billboard 200 (#3 on the Hard Rock and #7 on the Indie charts). The band would maintain the aggressive touring schedule into 2015 with four separate tours, one in Europe and three in the United States. Crowbar would begin work on their eleventh album the next January and follow up with a tour of Europe and a special tour commemorating the 20th Anniversary of "Broken Glass". On 5 June 2016, Jeff Golden would be fired from the group (and subsequently join Lord Dying) with founding bassist Todd Strange returning to the and performing on his first record with the band in sixteen years.

As the band toured heavily alongside the likes of Ghoul, Carcass and GWAR over several months, new singles for "Falling While Rising", "Plasmic and Pure" and "The Serpent Only Lies" would surface over September and October, with the band's eleventh album The Serpent Only Lies released via Steamhammer Records on 28 October 2016. Crowbar would spend 2017 touring with the likes of Suicidal Tendencies, Overkill, Havok and Tombs along with appearances at Full Terror Assault in Illinois, Wacken in Germany and Metal Maya in Mexico.

Crowbar have currently planned to support Hatebreed on their "20 Years Of Desire / 15 Years Of Perseverance" North American tour and have a planned appearance at Roadburn Festival to perform Odd Fellows Rest in it's entirety in lieu of the album's 20th Anniversary.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Obedience Thru Suffering (1991, Pavement Music)
• Crowbar (1993, Pavement Music)
• Time Heals Nothing (1995, Pavement Music)
• Broken Glass (1996, Pavement Music)
• Odd Fellows Rest (1998, Mayhem Music)
• Equilibrium (2000, Spitfire)
• Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form (2001, Spitfire)
• Lifesblood For The Downtrodden (2005, Candlelight)
• Sever The Wicked Hand (2011, eOne)
• Symmmetry In Black (2014, Century Media)
• The Serpent Only Lies (2016, Steamhammer)

Misc. Releases

• Aftershock (As Aftershock) (Demo) (1988)
• Slugs Demo (As The Slugs) (Demo) (1990)
• New Orleans Scene: Allow No Downfall (Split with Soilent Green, The Detrimentz, S.I.K.; As The Slugs) (1991, Frontline Records)
• Live + 1 (Live EP) (1994, Pavement Music)
• Like Broken (Home Video) (1997, Savwah)
• Past and Present (Compilation) (1997, Pavement Music)
• Sludge: History of Crowbar (Compilation) (2000, Spitfire Music)
• Odd Fellows Rest & Equilibrium (Compilation) (2007, Snapper Music)
• Live: With Full Force (Live DVD) (2007, Candlelight Records)

Members

Current Members

• Kirk Windstein - Guitars, Bass, Vocals (1990 - Present)
• Todd "Sexy T." Strange - Bass (1990 - 2000, 2016 - Present)
• Tommy Buckley - Drums (2005 - Present)
• Matthew Brunson - Guitars (2009 - Present)

Former Members

• Jimmy Bower - Drums (1990, 1996 - 1998)
• Kevin Noonan = Guitars (1990, 1991 - 1993)
• Craig Nunenmacher - Drums (1991 - 1995, 2000, 2004 - 2005)
• Travis - Guitars (1991)
• Matt Thomas - Guitars (1993 - 1997)
• Jay Abbene - Guitars (1996)
• Sammy Pierre Duet - Guitars (1998 - 2002)
• Jeremy Young - Bass (2000) (Died 2014)
• Sid Montz - Drums (2000)
• Jeff "Okie" Okoneski - Bass (2000 - 2001)
• Tony Costanza - Drums (2001)
• Rex Brown - Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards (2004 - 2005)
• 'Steve Gibb - Guitar, Vocals (2004 - 2009)
• Patrick Bruders - Bass (2005 - 2013)
• Jeff Golden - Bass (2013 - 2016)

List of Known Tours

• December 1992 Germany Mini-Tour (With Napalm Death, The Obsessed, Trouble, Cathedral) (1992)
• Winter 1993 European Tour (With Eyehategod) (1993)
• Spring 1993 European Tour (With Biohazard) (1993)
• 1994 North American Tour (With Pantera) (1994)
• 1994 European Tour (With Paradise Lost) (1994)
• Time Heals Nothing North American Tour (With Testament) (1995)
• The Carnival Bizarre Tour (With Cathedral, Anathema, Paradise Lost) (1995)
• Dia Tribe Tour (With Napalm Death) (1996)
• Odd Fellows Rest North American Tour (1998)
• Winter 1999 European Tour (With Bolt Thrower) (1999)
• The Killith Fair (1999)
• The South Shall Rise Again Tour 2000 (With Eyehategod, Soilent Green) (2000)
• 2000 North American Tour (With Black Label Society) (2000)
• 2004 European Tour (With Kataklysm; Canceled) (2004)
• 2004 European Tour (With Hatesphere) (2004)
• Lifesblood For The Downtrodden North American Tour (With Entombed, Pro-Pain, The Mighty Nimbus) (2005)
• Lifesblood For The Downtrodden UK Tour (With Hatebreed, Caliban)
• Stonebreakers & Hellraisers (With Corrosion of Conformity, Weedeater, Alabama Thunderpussy) (2005)
• 2006 UK Tour (With Will Haven, Through The Eyes Of The Dead)
• Stillborn Fest 2009 (With Hatebreed, The Acacia Strain, The Casualties, Thy Will Be Done) (2009)
• April 2010 European Tour (With Sepultura, Hamlet, Gama Bomb)
• Summer 2010 European Tour (2010)
• October 2010 North American Mini-Tour (2010)
• Fall 2010 North American Tour (With Black Tusk) (2010)
• Sever The Wicked Hand UK Tour (2011)
• Metalliance Tour 2011 (With Helmet, Saint Vitus) (2011)
• Sever The Wicked Hand 2012 North American Tour (With Prong) (2012)
• Sever The Wicked Hand 2012 European Tour (2012)
• Crushing The South (2013)
• Symmetry in Black UK Tour (With Dripback) (2014)
• Symmetry in Black European Tour (2014)
• Symmetry in Black North American Tour (Leg 1) (With Revocation, Havok, Fit For An Autopsy, Armed For Apocalypse) (2014)
• Symmetry in Black North American Tour (Leg 2) (2014) (With Unearth, Black Crown Initiate)
• Symmetry in Black 2015 (With Iron Walrus) (2015)
• Summer of Doom (With Battlecross, Lord Dying) (2015)
• We Sold Our Souls To Metal 2015 Tour (With Soulfly, Shattered Sun, Incite) (2015)
• 2015 December USA Tour (With High on Fire) (2015)
• 2016 European Tour (2016)
• Broken Glass 20th Anniversary Tour (2016)
• One Foot In The Grave 2016 (With Carcass, Ghoul, Night Demon) (2016)
• 2016 Mini-Tour (With GWAR, Mutoid Man) (2016)
• The Serpent Only Lies North American Tour (With Goatwhore, Lillake) (2016)
• World Gone Mad 2016 (With Suicidal Tendencies, Havok) (2017)
• The Serpent Only Lies European Tour (Spring) (2017)
• The Serpent Only Lies European Tour (Summer) (2017)
• Metal Alliance Tour 2017 (With Overkill, Havok, Black Fast, Invada) (2017)
• The Serpent Only Lies North American Tour (With Tombs, Incite; The Tricounty Terror on select dates) (2017)
• 20 Years Of Desire / 15 Years Of Perseverance (With Hatebreed, The Acacia Strain, Twitching Tongues) (2018)
• 2018 European Mini-Tour (With Converge, Thou) (2018)
• 2018 Fall European Tour (With Ingested, Earthship) (2018)
• 2018 Fall North American Tour (With Killswitch Engage, Born of Osiris, Death Ray Vision) (2018)
• A Quest To Believe A Call To The Void (With Corrosion of Conformity, Mothership; The Obsessed and Weedeater on select dates.) (2019)
• 2019 European Tour (2019)
• A Quest To Believe A Call To The Void II (With Corrosion of Conformity, Lo-Pan, Quaker City Night Hawks) (2019)
• 2019 Australian Tour (2019)
• Quadra Tour (With Sepultura, Sacred Reich, Art of Shock) (2020)

External Links

• Crowbar Facebook
• Crowbar Instagram
• Crowbar on Last.fm
• Crowbar on Lambgoat
• Crowbar on Blabbermouth Archives
• Crowbar MDF

References

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