Metal & Punk Forever
Review of the "Heatest Grits" CD, published on the Rock Brigade magazine, November 2004 issue:
CRUSHED
We have more and more proof that, in our work, what you see isn't quite what you get. The cover for Crushed's demo cd - certainly pressed in an oh-so-rough xerox machine, judging by its really awful quality - doesn't clarify that when you play the record, something oh-so-cool comes in. Truth is, the band's sound is impressively good. Having its roots in stoner metal, sometimes going a bit to the thrash side, this power trio's songs are consistant, replenished of talent, and very well recorded - a professional work indeed, made with a very heavy "kitchen" (bass+drums), well worked guitar, and the right measure of angered vocals. It's a shame that the guys weren't worried about the CD's artwork. Contact: crushed_contact@yahoo.com.br (ACM)
Review of the "Heatest Grits" CD, published on the Rock Brigade magazine, July 2004 issue:
CRUSHED
Really good and even surprising the songs presented by Crushed in Heatest Grits, their second demo CD. Besides of the well worked title, the band shows us really inspired themes, that "drink in several fountains", most noticeably in stoner rock/metal. The instruments' tones reminds directly of those which Corrosion of Conformity have been using in their latest works, while the riffs and leads drink clearly on the fountain formed by Black Sabbath, Mountain, and so on. The musical atmosphere brings to mind all those bands that make stoner rock's fans happy, and there can be felt influences of Crowbar, Eyehategod, Entombed, Melvins and Candlemass. It's true that not everything can be described as marvelous; for example, the vocals don't work that well in some moments, they sound a bit too rough, in need of some polishment here and there. But this small detail almost goes away thanks to the quality of the rest of the stuff in this CD. It's a kind of sound that seems depressive at first sight, but it's much more than that, bringing the listener a wide range of sensations. Well, there's a band almost ready that - rare thing - plays a kind of sound not that much recurrent and, because of that, the band can foresee a brilliant future onward. Contact: www.newbreed.com.br (RF)
"Brazilian luxury" - published on NewMetal
(by Wootubus - zorn69@hotmail.com - published in 05/mar/2004)
Crushed - "Heatest grits" EP (New Breed Records)
This is Crushed's second EP, and seems more like a sequel of their first EP entitled "Day after day". But in this case, a thing that you can see better is a bit more melody in the songs, and the focus is better distributed among all the instruments (not just the guitars). The vocals do not compromise the songs, but aren't the best thing in the band. It's talked (not sung) in most of the parts, and sounds better when the vocalist takes an attempt at singing (like in "Addict"). The songs have an uncommon groove for their style: industrial, with martial drums and oppressive guitars. By the way, the drums are a bit out of the industrial referencies, like Godflesh and Ministry, they're a bit more groovy like in "I, god". Lyrics talk about themes such as drugs, and to not let yourself down, but the lyrics are not clear, maybe not to sound like a sermon. There's even a tribute to the bizarre Wesley Willis, at least in the booklet. The group's version to Faith no More's "What a day" fit the group's sound perfectly. The drums take the scene by assault, conducting the song with a mechanical touch that, consciously or not, reminds again of Godflesh.
It's not hard to take note that this band has potential, now it's just needed to make some fine tuning.
Contact: crushed_contact@yahoo.com.br / www.newbreed.com.br