On
Lost Nation Road,
Craw's second full-length, this Cleveland band presents a shorter, more varied group of songs than on its first record, 1993's
Craw. Here, the material ranges from furious hardcore-influenced rock ("Sound of Every Promise") to more progressive, quasi-symphonic pieces complete with saxophones ("All This Has Made Me"). The things that set
Craw apart from other heavy indie rock acts are present here in spades: unconventional, compelling songs; superior musicianship (all the players are worthy of mention, but the haunting, role-playing vocals of Joe McTighe, the almost psychedelic guitar textures of David McClelland, and the tight, prog rock-influenced drumming of Neil Chastain really stand out); and lastly, an intangible quality of deep emotion. No record before or since has delivered dark, experimental rock music of such majesty and gravity. Admirers of acts as disparate as
Slint and
Dazzling Killmen should pray that
Craw's new label, Hydrahead, re-releases this out of print classic.