Welsh rockers Those Damn Crows stock has risen a lot since their 2018 debut album Murder and the Motive, having toured with Skindred, Funeral For A Friend, and Monster Magnet, graced the stage of Download, Hard Rock Hell, Planet Rockstock, and Ramblin’ Man festivals and hitting 14th in the UK charts with their second album Point of No Return. Their third full-length Inhale/Exhale, on Earache Records, continues their rise with another slab of consummately made and slickly produced Hard Rock.  

Lead single ‘Wake Up (Sleepwalker)’ is a good snapshot for the album, pounding Hard Rock with a stomping riff, impassioned vocals of frontman Shane Greenhall and a post-grunge feel. The driving rock of ‘Man On Fire’, with its underestimate me at your peril sentiment, is a lively number with a fiery, hook laden chorus. This is polished, American style Hard Rock – you have heard it’s ilk countless times but this Welsh quintet have developed quite a knack for it. The muscular opening track ‘Fill The Void’, with its relentless guitars and earworm chorus, fits this bill and seems purpose-built to whip a crowd up.

They have the ballads to go with their radio-friendly heavy rocking, with the lighter waving ‘This Time I’m Ready’ a decent, if generic, display of Creed-esque radio friendly emotion livened up somewhat by an unexpectedly heavy breakdown near the end. The best ballad and the album’s highlight is ‘See You Again’, a heartfelt display of missing a loved one with a ramped-up chorus, a sky high wall of backing vocals and a slight hint of Black Stone Cherry to it. The record loses its way a bit towards the end, with the dark and moody auras of ‘Lay It All On Me’ and ‘Waiting For Me’ ending things on a lethargic and forgetful note.

Inhale/Exhale continues Those Damn Crows rise with an adeptly made, if slightly familiar, serving of Hard Rock full of stomping rockers built on meaty riffs and arena-friendly choruses.

Buy the album here:

https://webstore.earache.com/A-Z/t/those-damn-crows

7 / 10

THOMAS THROWER