Crawl 2 Chaos - Wasteland America 3.5/5
Reviewed: 8-1-12
Tracklist:
1. Tied to the tracks
2. Wasteland America
3. Scary don't mean much
4. Suffer Kate
5. Run
6. The growing unknown
7. The nerve hammer
8. Before my eyes
9. Like a machine
10. End of days
11. Run (radio edit)
12. The growing unknown (radio edit)
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I'm always excited when a band whom I have never heard contact me personally to review their CD. Crawl 2 Chaos is one such group worthy of your attention, and I'm hear to defend the faith and promote another act who truly deserve recognition.
Like an anvil crushing you spine and mind, or a nerve hammer of justice murdering your head, these Jersey dogs deliver a solid slab of true American made metal. I have played the CD they sent me several times, and many bands come to mind, but one which fits perfectly with their kinetic dissent is Wrathchild America. I also clearly hear Kingscrossing, Anvil, Tension, Eviction, and many other acts.
The CD opener and closer are the weakest links, and I am not sure what "End of days" is suggesting, but the song does not settle well with me. All other cuts though dig in deep and sear my dread skin, masked by the the perfect match of insanity and chaos. Like listening to Sacred Reich, you may feel ignorance and independence, but you will always be crawling on your knees, seeking some semblance of internal salvation.
This CD is a terse treatise, and only 35 minutes long. Unfortunately there are no lyrics with the CD either, which is a real shame, as the words and song structure are very well written, with evocative emotion, integrity, and brutal honesty. A simple title like "Run" made sound cliche', but once you become drawn into the passion of the narrative, you will instantly feel tied to the track, and experience you own personal purgatory.
Thankfully, the band emailed me most of the lyrics, which has thus served to enrich my enjoyment of their mettle. The songs are sincere, and the choruses are very infectious, especially when you hear the Mega-Dave-Deth dirge of "The growing unknown"... "it’s water, under the bridge, and I hope you fuckin' drown in it!"
The snare of Pete Colvin's drums meld well with the sneer of vocalist Mark Ramsey's biting sarcasm. Consider the Annihilator meets Alice Cooper in hell tale of the the cleverly titled "Suffer Kate" with its type of negative brickerbat, but also hearfelt sorrow. If you see Kate, she will make you live, suffer, die!
The vicious vision of the band is embodied by Mark's perfect pitch which is not too gruff, but still filled with bitterness and hatred and total frustration. The guitar work is not over the top, and the powerthrash vibe is very present, like what you get with Faith or Fear, Nuclear Assault, Cyclone Temple or Meliah Rage.
Like a well-oiled machine rattling my tortured skull, I am grateful that I have discovered this band. Like Eternal Legacy, whose new CD 'Seeking no peace' is damn good, or Zero Down, this is just high quality self-produced blue collar metal and might, and well worth the weight. Each musician in this band wears his influences on his sleeve, championing the days of old when labels like Megaforce and Combat Records made a difference.
In wasteland America - a new world with no order - where we are overworked and uninsured, and scary don't mean much, it is refreshing to see another act forging their wares in the fires of wrath. So far... so good... so what are you waiting for... get in touch with the band and support these troopers!
MICHAEL
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