Most people think they know 36 Crazyfists. They know that they are an honest, hard grafting touring band that have graced some epic venues and really smash it when playing live. They also have a large back catalogue with decent hits that most people will have heard at some point. What people dont realise is that they have stepped up with this new release, “Collisions and Castaways” and it is devastatingly good. Its not the same old 36 Crazyfists, its new, improved and brutal…its the same distinctive sound, but more….everything. Harder, tighter and heavier, you name it, its better.
Do not let the calm and uplifting intro of the opening track decieve you..Yes it may be uncharacteristic of 36 Crazyfists to start with a melodic piece of music, but once it kicks in, there is no doubt that this is a complete and utter sledgehammer to the head. It immediately brought an ear-to-ear grin across my face. The production of the album is phenomenal and really gives justice to the power of the band.
This is simply an album that will be on repeat again and again. 36 Crazyfists have stepped up to the plate and delivered, but this time it different. They have grown and easily bettered their previous albums. Infact, you will be hard pressed to find much better out there this year.
Dont get me wrong though, it isn’t just a complete noisefest, there are tracks on the album that even the most hardened 36crazyfist fan would not have expected. There is a track entitled, ‘Long road to the late nights’ which is a brief interlude in the album and it works really well. It is a quiet yet intense instrumental piece of music which gives the listener time to compose their thoughts before bouncing off the wall for the next track.
There is another softer track on the album called ‘Caving in Spirals’, which starts off with a soft intro, but this is a slow burner, building to greatness. Brock’s vocals are so recognisable but also improved. It is refreshing to see the band show more feeling in the more melodic tracks, but dont be put off. It works epically in the grand scheme of the album.
The heavier tracks on the album are awesome and there is something for most. There are a couple of tracks including ‘Reviver’ that will no doubt get plenty of airplay also.
This is a great album at a time of potential staleness in the metal industry and it is a real shot in the arm for all of us metalheads out there. The last time an album made me feel this good was, dare I say it, Machine Head’s – The Blackening…Yes, this is THAT good.
Tracklist
1. In the midnights
2.Whitewater
3.Mercy and Grace
4.Death renames the light
5.Anchors
6.Long road to the late night
7.Trenches
8.Reviver
9.Caving in spirals
10.The Deserter
11.Waterhaul II
Words by Don Jackson-Wyatt
