UMUR
"Odd Fellows Rest" is the fifth full-length studio album by US, Louisiana based sludge metal act Crowbar. The album was released through Mayhem Records in July 1998. It´s the successor to "Broken Glass" from 1996 and features one lineup change since the predecessor as guitarist Matt Thomas has been replaced by Sammy Pierre Duet (Acid Bath, Goatwhore).
The material on "Odd Fellows Rest" continue the heavy sludge metal style of the preceding releases, but lead vocalist/guitarist Kirk Windstein further develops his slightly more melodic approach to singing. Slightly is the right word to use here, because Windstein has a rough voice and even his most melodic vocal parts are usually delivered in a relatively raw fashion. The laid back psychedelic tinged title track is the exception where the vocals are 100% clean. It´s a track which is obviously inspired by- and possibly even an ode to "Planet Caravan" by Black Sabbath.
Overall Crowbar do what they do best on "Odd Fellows Rest", and that´s delivering crushingly heavy and groove laden riffs and rhythms structured in vers/chorus format, and sounding both aggressive and raw, while at the same time sounding deeply melancholic. It´s one of the great strengths of Crowbar that they are capable of pairing those emotions and making it sound natural. Packed in a powerful, heavy, and detailed sound production "Odd Fellows Rest" is another quality release by Crowbar and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.