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Those Damn Crows have always shown excellent progression from one album to the next. 2023’s ‘Inhale/Exhale’ was a huge step up from what came before it, and studio album number four, ‘God Shaped Hole’, continues this progression.
Months on the road in Germany playing arenas and huge outdoor gigs with the likes of Hollywood Vampires and German superstars Böhse Onkelz have meant performing in front of thousands of fans unfamiliar with The Crows, and the five-piece from Bridgend, South Wales, certainly made an impression. These experiences have seen The Crows develop hugely (think Golden Balls Beckham leaving Manchester for Madrid), and the result is ‘God Shaped Hole’; their strongest, and most varied and commercial album to date, and an album that is oven ready for the mass market.
The variety mentioned above can be found amongst the several singles already released from the album. ‘Glass Heart’, for instance, is perfect timing for the current sunnier climates bathing the UK in warmth. Very slick, very commercial, and because of the insanely catchy hooks, easy to sing or hum along to after one listen. Oh, and how about Ronnie Huxford’s stellar drumming, eh? The fella behind the kit controls the pace expertly.
‘Dreaming’ simply screams a mid-afternoon slot at Rocklahoma Festival while the crowd are waiting on headliners Shinedown to do the voodoo that they do so well. Bryan Adams-like at times (the light guitar melodies mid-song are a delight), with little bits of bite here and there. Polished without losing the gritty steel that The Crows are renowned for. The full-pelt ‘Let’s Go Psycho!’ follows on, and it’s easy to see why it is the current set opener. A little suggestion of harsher vocals in the background, perhaps? Huxford, again, excels, and it’s a thrill to hear the drums so high in the mix.
Slower in pacing and ferocity – but equally as hair-raising – is the reflective, current single, ‘The Night Train’. Deeply personal for Crows’ wordsmith Shane Greenhall, it deals with “…an extremely powerful and vivid dream where I visited my Father, and relatives who have passed away, It really felt like I had travelled somewhere else, to a different time/place rather than a dream.” Need an example of the growth in Greenhall’s songwriting? Strap this one on for size.
And then there are the non-single tracks. ‘Fake’ is perhaps the pick of the bunch. Huge, epic, and intriguing, it reels the listener in and doesn’t let them go. With its cinematic arrangements, it is not too far of a stretch to imagine Tom Cruise jumping off a bloody big building in the forthcoming Mission Impossible movie – sans parachute, of course – while this plays over the visuals. The string arrangements, combined with Huxford’s hits, and the low, deep voice that utters “Self…” as the song ends, are pure Hollywood. It worked for Metallica, after all. ‘Spit & Choke’ runs it a close second, though. Aggressive, and if you like, more traditional. With pacy, throbbing bass from Lloyd Wood, at times, it has an old-school NWOBHM feel to the music, but with modern production values attached.
The UK is already fertile Crows ground, and great inroads have been made into the crucial German market, how long before Those Damn Crows turn their attention to North America? It has been suggested on this website on numerous occasions that Those Damn Crows are perfect for a Shinedown audience. ‘God Shaped Hole’ simply reinforces that thought. Make it happen, Brent Smith, make it happen. Those Damn Crows have raised the bar, yet again.
Available April 11th via Earache Records. Purchase, HERE.
Those Damn Crows instore dates:
UK headline dates:
Fri 17th Oct – LEICESTER O2 Academy
Sat 18th Oct – LEEDS Stylus
Mon 20th Oct – NEWCASTLE Boiler Shop
Tue 21st Oct – GLASGOW SWG3
Wed 22nd Oct – MANCHESTER Albert Hall
Fri 24th Oct – BRISTOL Crane: Prospect Building
Sun 26th Oct – PLYMOUTH Plymouth Pavilions
Tue 28th Oct – SOUTHAMPTON Engine Rooms
Thu 30th Oct – BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
Fri 31st Oct – LONDON O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Tickets via www.thosedamncrows.com.
Promo pic – Jansen Bulpin
Live images – Rob Wilkins
