It's been four years since the release of Crowbar's last album so there has been some anticipation among the fan base for the release of founder and frontman Kirk Windstein's solo debut, Dream in Motion. The album succeeds in being a creation independent from Crowbar, something that might disappoint fans seeking a heavier sludge metal sound.
The album is sadly lacking in the riffage so iconic to Kirk Windstein's style. Many of the songs are meandering rhythm progressions, stretched with sustains, played at a crawling tempo. Even for Windstein, this album is incredibly slow. The lack of money riffs fails to bolster Kirk's vocal delivery and therein lies another problem.
Kirk is known for his unique voice that invokes notions of whisky, smoking, and the Deep South. It's an incredibly rich voice that surges with power that directly challenges his forlorn lyrical content. These bold heavy metal affirmations are typically empowered by his surging riffs, distilling the very essence of heavy music. However, with this new release, Windstein displays a sincere attempt at genuine singing; unfortunately, he doesn't have much of a range. When it comes to the more ballad-like songs on the album ("The Ugly Truth") the presentation comes across as flat and tone deaf.
Dream in Motion comes off as a collection of unreleased ideas from Kirk's numerous projects; collected, dusted off, and put together into an album. The inclusion of Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" is jarring and unnecessary. It immediately unravels the sombre atmosphere that Windstein spends the whole album attempting to establish, further instilling the notion that this album is a collection of songs, rather than a cohesive project.
(eOne)The album is sadly lacking in the riffage so iconic to Kirk Windstein's style. Many of the songs are meandering rhythm progressions, stretched with sustains, played at a crawling tempo. Even for Windstein, this album is incredibly slow. The lack of money riffs fails to bolster Kirk's vocal delivery and therein lies another problem.
Kirk is known for his unique voice that invokes notions of whisky, smoking, and the Deep South. It's an incredibly rich voice that surges with power that directly challenges his forlorn lyrical content. These bold heavy metal affirmations are typically empowered by his surging riffs, distilling the very essence of heavy music. However, with this new release, Windstein displays a sincere attempt at genuine singing; unfortunately, he doesn't have much of a range. When it comes to the more ballad-like songs on the album ("The Ugly Truth") the presentation comes across as flat and tone deaf.
Dream in Motion comes off as a collection of unreleased ideas from Kirk's numerous projects; collected, dusted off, and put together into an album. The inclusion of Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" is jarring and unnecessary. It immediately unravels the sombre atmosphere that Windstein spends the whole album attempting to establish, further instilling the notion that this album is a collection of songs, rather than a cohesive project.