Among the really heaviest bands of the planet undoubtedly are CROWBAR from New Orleans. And I don't even want to hint at the more than remarkable weight of their members, but their steam-rolling Doom-riffs!

Add to that the angry, despaired vocals of Kirk Windstein. For a long time in the past I've had my problems with them, because they had been too Hardcore for me. But when I listen to his voice on this album, then I am absolutely surprised! Not that he has turned any softer, but sounds more controlled! And suddenly I like it!

But that is also thanks to the really good song-material. It's been quite some time since I had heard such an intense piece of Doom as the opener "The Lasting Dose"! The following "To Build A Mountain" is of a similar calibre, with a fast middle-part! Cool! And the almost whole album goes on like this. Almost, because two or three songs cannot keep up, but that is normal, I guess. Amazing is the sheer number of great sludgy Doom-Riffs, which CROWBAR still create after all those many albums.

And I would never have expected an up-tempo-song (for CROWBAR) like "Failure To Delay Gratification". And the end is made up by "Empty Room", one of the highlights of "Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form".