Elephant's Graveyard: SONIC EXCESS IN ITS PUREST FORM (2001)

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Welcome

Welcome back <3 I hope you're all staying alive and well. I've been in a music slump for most of this year, unfortunately. I'm not too sure what the meaning is behind that; however, Crowbar's Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form has been on repeat for months. I had mentioned it in my ten recommended albums blog post back in April, and it's been my intention for a couple of months to give this album the attention it deserves.

Crowbar is one of the best bands alive, in my opinion, and I wish more people gave their music the attention it deserves.

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Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form

Crowbar released their seventh studio album 'Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form' with eleven tracks in August of 2001, from New Orleans. This album absolutely blew me away, with heavy melodicism and chugging guitar riffs; it's impossible for me not to want to move my body to this music.

𝄞1. THE LASTING DOSE: Heavy, slow, longing, discontenting, depressive, ballad-esque. This is a beautiful opening to the drudging emotional coaster that is this album. This song is like the tide that pulls you deep into the sea, just absolutely brutal, lurking, and raw. "I've felt the pain of a brutal war, I feel the pain of a lasting war."

𝄞2. To Build a Mountain: Picking up where TLD left off, this absolutely throws you into the density of Sammy Duet & Kirk Windman's guitar. The only way I can explain this music is like you're getting thrashed around by waves, being pulled back and forth, back and forth, before plummeting to the bottom. It's so THICK I cannot figure out how else to describe it, but it's so dirty and heavy and rough. The lyrics resemble a self-motivation anthem, and to never give up, even if progress doesn't seem visible.

𝄞3. THROUGH THE ASHES: A slow, angry revival of energy, and sonically gorgeous, it has a perfect slow, echoing intro that lulls you into the fire. A beautiful pickup into the depressively angry cries of the chorus. The lyrics resemble the experience one has when recovering from self-destructive habits and addictive tendencies, as well as the feeling of overcoming that uncomfortable growth period.

𝄞4. AWAKENING: Groovy introduction that absolutely pulls you into a slow frenzy, this song gives you absolute whiplash from fast to trudging slow riffs. With lyrical themes about leaving harmful addictive habits, and having the strength to persevere and create a new life, this song aims to motivate and humble.

𝄞5. REPULSIVE IN ITS SPLENDID BEAUTY: A slow, angry, and heavy ballad, absolutely amazing. The song physically feels heavy and suffocating; it's incredible. The way I interpret the lyrics and the meaning of the song are purely my interpretation only, but this song feels like a practice of radical acceptance, understanding that even though you can be vulnerable and open up to others--whether that's a physical person, yourself, etc--you can only control your own actions, and you are responsible for yourself, and yourself alone. You can carry the pain of others and help as much as you can, but ultimately, you are the only person guaranteed to be there for yourself.

𝄞6. Counting Daze: I cannot express how much I ADORE this song. There are lyrical themes of holding yourself accountable during recovery and how you can only do what is right and hard for yourself, you can't have change without your own hard work, and you cannot expect the world to hand you everything on a silver platter. This is a tough-love lesson that many people have to learn when recovering from self-destructive habits.

𝄞7. IN TIMES OF SORROW: Beautifully calm instrumental interlude that displays their talent beyond hard, heavy, and intense music. There are aspects of psychedelic rock in this song, and it feels very reflective, and like the ups-and-downs of recovery, and how it is not linear, and the emotions experienced are vast. This song displays their talent as music composers for those who may need a different style to see their skills. Absolutely admirable.

𝄞8. IT POURS FROM ME: This song slowly stomps its way back into the loud chaoticism, themes of suicide and relapse, and self-destruction. Depressingly relatable, where many of those who go through recovering bad habits will have many relapses on self-harming behaviors (drugs, alcohol, sex, illegal behavior, etc.) This song brings out personal feelings from me, especially considering I have had to stop self-harming habits and recover from things that were killing me. As well as having loved ones experience the highs and lows of addiction, depression, and suicidal ideation. Very emotionally raw, and fades out the way you would if you were leaving consciousness.

𝄞9. SUFFERING BRINGS WISDOM: The thick bassline in the intro is so raw, I cannot get over it, the lyrics about mourning the things you've lost, the parts of yourself you've lost, the pain and hurt that one feels during the midst of addiction; absolutely vulnerable, and I can't help but cry to this song. So slow, and fearful, depressive, and resentful.

𝄞10. FAILURE TO DELAY GRATIFICATION: Absolutely amazing, probably one of my top songs off of this album, there is so much life and fear, and themes of the struggle to remain sober, and fight those urges, I feel so silly saying this about every song, but truly every song gets me so ridiculously emotional because I'VE GONE THROUGH THIS!!!!!!!!!! I'VE GONE THROUGH A VARIATION OF THIS!!!!!! I'VE WITNESSED THIS!!!!!

𝄞11. Empty Room: This album is reminiscent of Carcass' earlier work if it were downtuned, slower, and with more dissonance. During the breakdowns is where I hear a lot of inspiration. This song absolutely breaks me down, and I can't help but cry. It feels similar to a reprise of In Times of Sorrow. There is no confirmation that there is recovery--which, to be fair, Crowbar's lead Kirk Windstein didn't get sober until around 2010, and this album had come out in 2001. But it feels so human, and so realistic to the struggle of breaking habits that are actively killing you, and hurting the people you love around you. Raw. The only way I can describe this song and album is raw.