Crowbar - Time Heals Nothing (1995)

Crowbar was never afraid to share their pain, and Time Heals Nothing exemplifies the New Orleans doom purveyor's well-practiced aching out loud. The final recording before a series of lineup changes and side projects tested the band's focus, this disc might qualify as the sludge rocker's most punishing collection. Songs like "Through a Wall of Tears" typify the depressing, densely textured morass that the group's small but loyal following spent almost a decade wallowing in. Time Heals Nothing's ten tracks could possibly sound nondistinct to new listeners. Patient fans, however, are rewarded by Crowbar's uniquely catchy tunes after repeated listening. The interesting melodies that emerge from singer/guitarists Kirk Windstein's damaged vocal chords are surprisingly hummable. Pulling double-duty, Windstein (along with co-guitarist Matt Thomas) crafts the thickest of sludge-guitar grooves that nicely complement the vocals and Craig Nunemacher's solid drumming. Bitter howling and the thickest of slow-metal riffing combine to make this 1995 Zoo release as powerful as any of the band's attempts at sour self-evisceration.