ALBUM REVIEW: God Shaped Hole – Those Damn Crows

Welsh rockers, THOSE DAMN CROWS, are back with their fourth album God Shaped Hole. Much like their previous albums, the main heart of the record is about emotions and honesty, something that frontman Shane Greenhall is very open about with the main reasoning of wanting to connect to others. Yet still being able to do it alongside a sound that is on par with some of the greatest anthemic rock and arena rock bands, meaning that the connection is formed both on vulnerabilities and feeling uplifted.

And that connection is felt from the very start to end of the record. Opening things up we have Dancing With The Enemy, a rock track infused with electronic sounds and a bouncy chorus that one can easily picture becoming a sing along staple at live shows. The song itself also includes little moments of grittiness with low, growling vocals making a brief appearance during the bridge and, if needing an overall summary, it feels akin to a U2 arena level sound in terms of how larger than life it feels.

That high energy is present throughout the record, even in moments where we enter slow ballad territory in tracks like The Night Train, which features slow guitar strumming, piano and gentle drum beats that makes you want to sway and hold a lighter up to, and closing song Still, that, again, features a slow acoustic guitar and serves as a gentle, vulnerable end to the record, you find yourself filled with hope and an uplifting feeling in your chest in that it’s fine to be open and emotional, and, above all, things will work out in the end.

But of course, what makes up the majority of the record is loud, catchy rock songs that will make you want to get up and dance and sing along, even in moments when things are more angrier than happy, as heard in No Surrender, where we hear the use of hard rock meets industrial in a stunning composition; Turn It Around, that brings electronic and industrial rock together, yet still remains anthemic with singalong gang chants and Fake that has a theatrical element with bringing in violins to help elevate the frustration conveyed in the lyrics, something quite similar to the likes of Scottish heavyweights BIFFY CLYRO.

Yet perhaps the main highlights here are the moments where you’re just meant to feel happy and uplifted, despite any current circumstances or vulnerabilities conveyed in some the lyrical content. A good example is Glass Heart, a catchy song that you find yourself singing along to after the first chorus and serves to make you smile yet going deeper the lyrics themselves are quite personal with a discussion about someone’s mental state and trying to get better and move on. It offers a promise of hope in a realistic way. And outside of that you can just have fun with bouncy rock tracks that we can only imagine will be pure chaotic fun live. We’re looking at you Let’s Go Psycho!.

God Shaped Hole is a fun rock album that is as vulnerable as it is uplifting. No matter what you might be going through, you can find yourself relating and given hope in its lyrics. And even if you’re not, you’re there for a good time of dancing and singing the night away.

Rating: 8/10

God Shaped Hole is set for release on April 11th via Earache Records. Pre-orders are available now and can be purchased here.

For more information on THOSE DAMN CROWS like their official page on Facebook.