36 Crazyfists – “Lanterns” (Spinefarm Records)
In the two years since 2015’s Time and Trauma, 36 Crazyfists have battled everything from extreme
depression to divorce, the result of which is their seventh studio album Lanterns, a life raft for those who are
drowning and a beacon of light at the end of the tunnel for those suffering. Lanterns is a behemoth from the word go
with jack hammer riffs, stomping percussion and dynamic vocal agility from
frontman Brock Lindow, who delivers stunning melodies just as easily as he does
crushing bars, on opener “Death Eater.” “Wars To Walk Away From” and “Better To
Burn” up the headbanging factor thanks to more brilliant mic work from Lindow
and a noticeable sense of urgency and “Sea and Smoke” is built around soaring
hooks and lofty guitars. Lindow transforms into a raspy wandering troubadour on
the poignant “Where Revenge Ends,” an emotionally charged slow burner that
plays well in today’s unsettled world (‘Where revenge ends / We lose ourselves
tonight / And where love lives / I’ll find myself asleep in the light’). The
track also works as a bridge to Lanterns’
second half, which fittingly opens with the gutturally explosive “Sleepsick.”
From there, lengthy guitar solos rule the day on “Laying Hands,” “Old Gold” is
a hulking monster and Lindow’s somber tones return on the aptly titled closer
“Dark Corners,” one final anthem to help guide us all out of life’s, well, dark
corners. Like time, music can help heal all wounds and this album is proof of
that. In the end, Lanterns might be
36 Crazyfists’ best album to date, so let the debate begin.
Go Download: “Sleepsick”
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