Craw

Craw is an independent band from Cleveland, Ohio. They belong to the harder-edged branch of the math rock or post rock movement, in the same category as bands such as Colossamite, Keelhaul, Zeni Geva, Dazzling Killme

Craw is an independent band from Cleveland, Ohio. They belong to the harder-edged branch of the math rock or post rock movement, in the same category as bands such as Colossamite, Keelhaul, Zeni Geva, Dazzling Killmen, and Ruins. They have been together for over 13 years. The group originally consisted of one vocalist, two electric guitarists, one electric bassist, and one drum set player, but eventually one of the guitarists moved away, leaving the group a four-piece outfit. In earlier albums and performances the group sometimes also featured saxophones.

Craw's music is superficially similar in sound to that of metal groups such as Helmet, with the distinction that its compositions feature almost unimaginably complex rhythmic shifts, which are executed in perfect synchronization. While many earlier rock groups favoring mixed or compound meters, such as Rush, tended to remain in a single meter (such as 5/4 or 7/4) for long stretches, Craw songs typically change meter every few seconds, making the group's music closer rhythmically to much contemporary classical music than most rock. Rather than being sung conventionally (using melodic pitches) or "growled" in the manner of Metallica's James Hetfield, vocals are generally declaimed in a forceful sing-song manner that is nonetheless usually synchronized with the instrumental parts. Lyrics are usually obscure, focusing on esoteric scientific subjects and themes of industrial breakdown.