Crowpath

Sweden’s Crowpath may have a name that’s really, really hard to remember, but that’s no reason to ignore them, for crying out loud. Old Cuts and Blunt Knives is a half-hour of previously-released tunes, with the exception of two new bruisers. The band plays an angular, technically complex form of creative metallic hardcore, peers perhaps being Mastodon and, most certainly, Keelhaul. Although Crowpath lacks the dynamics that make Keelhaul’s latest so damn perfect, the band does a great job of delivering the sonic beat-down. The drumming in particular is a highlight, Erik Hall essentially delivering one long fill here, with occasional lapses into beat. Feels like he’s just hitting the shit out of the things too. The guitarist is a machine as well, delivering lots of metalcore riffs and strange, discordant power chords. Don’t go in expecting to take anything away from this; this is just too heavy, too chaotic, too unrelenting to really be memorable in any way. Instead, it makes you shake your head at the insanity of it all while it’s playing, then sits patiently on your shelf awaiting the next time you’re foolish enough to want more of the beautiful punishment. The last two songs sound like shite, but apart from that, the sound quality is consistently clear and heavy sounding on this great odds n’ sods release.