Crowbar

Formed in New Orleans, Louisiana, around the turn of the 1990s, Crowbar emerged from the local sludge metal scene that blends doom heritage, hardcore and Southern U.S. metal culture. Centered on guitarist and vocalist Kirk Windstein—the only constant member—the band developed a sound defined by slow tempos, massive guitars, a rasping voice and dark atmospheres often focused on introspection and resilience. After several name and lineup changes in the late 1980s, the group settled on the name Crowbar and released its debut album, Obedience Thru Suffering, in 1991, followed by Crowbar in 1993, produced with contributions from Phil Anselmo, a prominent figure in the New Orleans scene. Their discography continued with Time Heals Nothing (1995), Broken Glass (1996) and Odd Fellows Rest (1998), which refined the balance between heaviness, groove and more melodic passages, then Equilibrium (2000) and Sonic Excess in Its Purest Form (2001). After Lifesblood for the Downtrodden (2005), Crowbar entered a new phase with Sever the Wicked Hand (2011), Symmetry in Black (2014), The Serpent Only Lies (2016) and Zero and Below (2022), while remaining closely rooted in the NOLA scene and touring extensively with other sludge and doom acts. Alongside Windstein’s work with Down and other projects, Crowbar remains identified by a compact, slow and abrasive aesthetic at the crossroads of sludge, doom and greatly slowed hardcore.