Behind the Blackest Tears seems a lot more bluesy (spiced with a Down-vibe) than the predecessor. The two seem a lot more comfortable with each other as well, allowing their respective influences gel together in a much more coherent fashion. While Jasta’s and Windstein’s vocals still showcase their unique approaches, riff-wise, the music is far less segregated; who wrote what part isn’t as clear anymore. Instead there’s just 12 fleshed out, stout, crunchy and as I said, bluesy, groovy tunes that show two individuals coming together in creative unison – finally.

Nowhere is the premise more fulfilled than on tracks like “God’s Law in the Devil’s Land”, “Envision the Divide”, “From Heroes to Dust”, “Along the Path to Ruin” and “The Death We Owe” which all come across with a hazy southern grit and confident hardcore machismo, rolled into one burly, earthy shot of metal. Still there’s a couple of straight up sturdy, stomping numbers like the enjoyable title track, “Monuments in Ash”, “With Barely A Breath” and the pure hardcore of “Sleeping Beast” and urgent closer “Salvation Denied”.  Even if at times the personalities shine over one another, Behind the Blackest Tears is a far smoother and seamlessly written than the quick, dirty collaboration that was the debut. Jasta and Windstein simply seem to be more focused and in unison.

Behind the Blackest Tears is what the debut should have been. A fierce effort that finally warrants the expectations set upon the two getting together to make metal.

But, Kirk… where is the new fucking Crowbar album?!

There. End of review.

Ok maybe not. Of course, the duo if joined by Steve Gibb of ex-Black Label Society (guitar), Matthew Brunson (bass), and Derek Kerswill of Seemless/Unearth (drums), but the main duo is where the primary musical influence lies.

About half the time, KOS is Crowbar styled, heaving, crawling Zuess produced sludge metal with Jasta shouting over it with Windstein contributing a few constipated grunts (opener “Hear This Prayer For Her”, “Grieve a Lifetime”, “Piece it All back Together”, “With Unspoken Words”). On the other half of the tracks there is an easily recognizable Jasta dominated hardcore style such as “Free The Fallen”, “Led Into Demise” , “Begging For the Truth”and “Lead The Ghosts Astray” which could be Hatebreed tracks, but those tracks are not nearly as effective as the more Crowbar sounding stuff (unless you are Hatebreed fanboy).

On the whole, the album isn’t terribly memorable, and not the monumental pairing some had hoped for, as only a handful of tracks like the aforementioned opener, somber Down/Pantera sounding ballad, “Screaming Into the Sky” and closer “Buried In Black” demand some form of recall, and that’s mainly of the strength of Windstein’s pained fret and vocal work. Personally, I would have preferred the whole album without Jasta’s vocals at all. But it is a stout effort that will have obvious appeal to two sets of crowds and I imagine, move a good amount of units with both.

Cool cover though.