The Tide and Its Takers (CD - 2008)

Audio Mixer: Andy Sneap.

Recording information: Cloud City Studios; Fisticuffs Studios, Portland, OR.

Photographer: Brian Andrew Lee.

It turns out Jewel isn't the only musical export from frigid Alaska. Metalcore seems to have reached Anchorage in the form of 36 Crazyfists. THE TIDE AND ITS TAKERS features the now-familiar mix of cleanly sung vocals and guttural screams as well as the contrasting breakdown riffs and twisting leads. "Only a Year or So" takes chances with a long, female-voiced spoken word portion accompanied by more placid music, and the title track features delicate, wintry acoustic guitars. 36 Crazyfists's concentration is on dynamics and balanced, potent songwriting. They want you to listen carefully while you bang your head.

There was a time that within the realm of heavy metal when most groups were categorized by one of two styles: extreme metal or melodic metal. But rarely, if ever, did the two meet. However, by the early 21st century, it's hard to find a thriving metal band that doesn't incorporate elements of each approach into their metallic caldron, especially in the case of Kenai, AK based quartet 36 Crazyfists. On their fourth major-label release (and first for the Ferret Music label), 2008's Tide and Its Takers, it would be understandable to fool a newcomer of the band into believing there are two lead singers in the band. Case in point: "The Black Harlow World," which seamlessly alternates between melodic crooning/tranquil music and hardcore screaming/raging metal. This is an approach that 36 Crazyfists uses throughout Tide, as evidenced by such delightful little ditties as the album opening "The All Night Lights" and "Waiting on a War," the group has created an album that appears poised for some serious crossover appeal. ~ Greg Prato minimize