Those Damn Crows' Point Of No Return: energetic, merciless, irresistible

Bridgend boys Those Damn Crows hit escape velocity on second album Point Of No Return

By Essi Berelian
( Classic Rock )
published
Those Damn Crowes
(Image: © Earache Records)

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Brutal, honest, driven. This follow-up to Murder And The Motive takes the promise inherent in Those Damn Crows' debut, ratchets up the intensity 10-fold and positively rams home the qualities that made that record special. 

Here we have titanic riffs and instantly memorable choruses in blissful harmony, kind of like a Welsh Alter Bridge or Shinedown. 

With Colin Richardson and Andy Sneap producing there was no chance this was going to sound anything other than immense – Send The Reaper with its Metallica-sized riffing, Kingdom Of Dust, Go Get It, Devil In My Pocket, just take your pick and prepare to be flattened by the breathless momentum. 

Those Damn Crows - Set in Stone (Official Video) - YouTube
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The orchestral, piano-led, emotionally draining Never Win provides some early respite, otherwise this is a master class in combining glittering arena-targeted hooks and crunching modern metal.

The energy levels are merciless and the groove is irresistible.

Difficult second album? Nope.

Essi Berelian
Essi Berelian

Whether it’s magazines, books or online, Essi has been writing about rock ’n’ metal for around thirty years. He has been reviews editor for Classic Rock and Metal Hammer, rock reviews editor for lads mag Front and worked for Kerrang!. He has also written the Rough Guide to Heavy Metal and contributed to the Rough Guide to Rock and Rough Guide Book of Playlists, and the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles (13th edition). Most fun interview? Tenacious D – Jack Black and Kyle Gass – for The Pick of Destiny movie book. An avid record/CD/tape collector, he’s amassed more music than he could ever possibly listen to, which annoys his wife no end.