Released by: eOne Ent
Release Date: January 24th, 2020
Line Up:
Kirk Windstein – Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Duane Simoneaux – Drums
Track Listing:
01. “Dream In Motion”
02. “Hollow Dying Man”
03. “Once Again”
04. “Enemy In Disguise”
05. “The World You Know”
06. “Toxic”
07. “The Healing”
08. “Necropolis”
09. “The Ugly Truth”
If you like your music full of doom and sludge then you will no doubt know Kirk Windstein by name. Riff Lord of the Southern Delta for over thirty-five years, from his beginnings with Shell Shock before forming Crowbar in 1990, it is surprising then that this is his first solo effort. Released on January 24th through the Entertainment One label, Dream In Motion sets out to capture exactly that. With slowly strummed power chords and single-note progressions, this is Kirk Windstein but not as we fully expect him to be, creating a dreamlike soundscape to compliment a vocal delivery that has a touch of Black Sabbath’s ‘Planet Caravan’ to it throughout.
It is an album that may take seasoned fans a bit of time to get into as most of the tracks are in standard tuning, and there is little in the way of true stomping moments, but that is not the point of this album. Best described as a mellower, more personal record, all guitars, bass, and vocals were recorded by Windstein himself, with just the drums and effects handled by producer Duane Simoneaux.
Opening with the lead single and title track, ‘Dream In Motion’ sees Windstein in a reflective mood. Lyrically it is straight to the point in appreciation of his career in music while the accompanying video constitutes a retrospective with footage of live performances mixed in with the studio recording sessions for the song itself. This is one of a handful of numbers that sat with the initial expectation and could have made it to a Crowbar or Down record, alongside ‘Once Again’ and ‘Toxic’, a song with lyrics written by his wife, which continues their collaboration after the Symmetry In Black song ‘Symmetry In White’. The rest of the album slowly weaves its magic with other stand out tracks coming in the form of the instrumental ‘The Healing’, a brooding ‘Necropolis’ and the closing cover of Jethro Tull’s ‘Aqualung’, which was studio ready having appeared many times in his sets before.
Some conflicting emotions surround this release as the likelihood of seeing this record toured is disappointingly remote for now but that is because Crowbar have their twelfth studio album coming out this year, with an expected extended tour to boot, and Down have announced twenty-fifth anniversary shows for the Nola record, which Kirk has confirmed he is back in the band for, having left in 2013.
All in, this is a worthy addition to Windstein’s discography and, if you let yourself sink into it, it will be one that can only enhance his legacy.
Written by: Brendan O’Mahony
Ratings: 8/10
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