PRESS/MEDIA
Crawl
No Way Out
THC: Music - 2025
Oliver Zurita
Expansion Radial
CRAWL isn’t a new band, but they sound more current than many newcomers. Formed in the late '80s as Nothing Sacred, then Bleed, and finally CRAWL, they were part of the industrial metal movement from its rawest core. Their sound was groundbreaking at the time, and after a long silence, they returned in 2019 with the re-release of Womb on Combat Records. Since then, their momentum has been constant. The current lineup, featuring Thomas Danz, Jason DeJardin, Tim Pantzlaff, and Josh Hovland, remains committed to a brutal, dense, and uncompromising approach.
This new album, No Way Out, marks their first studio LP in almost 30 years. It was released on June 26th, 2025, with 12 tracks that last just over 42 minutes. The mix of alternative metal, industrial, doom, and death metal offers no respite. The themes revolve around personal collapse, social control, institutional lies, and hopelessness as a driving force. Personally, I was surprised by how good everything sounds. The guitars tear at you, the beats push you, and the synth-driven atmospheres envelop everything with an apocalyptic air. It's not just a comeback: it's a declaration that CRAWL hasn't lost its edge, but has sharpened it over time.
Essentials in No Way Out
"Thoughts of a Liar" opens the album with all the weight of its history. The riffs are sharp, the vocals a mix of prophecy and menace. "Thoughts of a liar, a thief, a defiler / Taking purity as easy as to breathe"resounds powerfully. It's a fierce critique of power structures and spiritual corruption. I liked it as a first blow: direct, devastating, and well-crafted.
Parasite has a corrosive energy. It's a track that oozes rage. "Demonize what you cannot fucking explain"is one of those lines that gets stuck in your head. The groove is dirtier, more groove-metal, and the lyrics reflect a power struggle where the parasite isn't just external, but internal. It's a song that made me grit my teeth more than once.
Your Suffering is pure intensity. It captivated me from the first listen with its construction: it starts off subdued, but grows to become almost anthemic. "Walk in waking slumber / Living your defeat"is a reflection of that paralyzing modern depression. I found it to be the most empathetic track on the album, yet still wild.
Silence Is Violence was one of my favorites. It has excellent dynamics: the rhythm changes, the layers of atmosphere, the choruses that invite action. "Rise against! / Silence is violence"works as a rallying cry. I heard it and ended up walking like I was coming from setting something on fire. It has that effect.
No Way Out, the album's title track, is ferocious. The speed and aggression never slow down. "Live... like... there is... no way out"sounds like an order, not a suggestion. It's wild, but with an old-school industrial feel. Perfect for letting it all out in a mental mosh.
Final Days closes the album on an intense note. "Life, death, pain / We live, fade, decay... Final Days"is as bleak as it is poetic. It's a brutal, unredeeming, yet honest farewell. It left me with the feeling of having completed a painful but necessary journey,
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Production and sound at No Way Out
The production on No Way Out is rock-solid. The mixing and arrangement work highlights every element: the guitars pound with riffs that feel like concrete blocks, while the bass and drums build a foundation that shakes you without mercy. What Iliked most was how each track has its own sonic identity, yet they all share that oppressive, dark atmosphere.
The synthesizers aren't the main focus, but they serve a vital function: they give the album an almost cinematic feel, as if we were in a collapsed world. I was struck by Thomas Danz's raw vocals, which aren't meant to sound pretty, but real. Every scream, every line, seems pulled from the gut. This is an album that doesn't aim to please you, it aims to leave its mark on you.
Listen and follow their journey
No Way Out is a fierce, solid, and necessary comeback. If you ever doubted the power of industrial metal, this album reaffirms it with fury. CRAWL sounds as if time has stood still, but with a maturity that only comes through survival. ​
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No Way Out - 2025
Mostly inspired by the mighty GODFLESH, American Crawl was formed back in late 80s play industrial oriented heavy music. They’ve released two records in 1995 and 1996, but after that, the band went into a deep sleep. Crawl reformed in 2019 after a lengthy hiatus and re-released their debut EP Womb on Combat Records. A number of live performances followed that led the members to start writing & recording new music with the goal of creating a new full length release.
The new record No Way Out was released on June 27th, 2025. After almost 30 years, they’re still remaining true to Crawl’s signature industrial metal roots with influences from death metal and hardcore. However, they’re also appealing to a new era of metal audience with modern influences and production. The album has 12 tracks, 42 minutes in length and when it comes to design of the record, its evident that Crawl wanted to keep songs short, direct and on to the point.
After a short intro, you’ll feel there’s a distinct cold, industrial sheen overlaying the death metal core, creating a mechanical, brutal sonic assault. If you’re seeking melodic breathers you’re probably gonna be exhausted after couple songs, because No Way Out remains steeply focused on pure aggression and groove. I really enjoyed that heavy-bass driven sound. On songs like Parasite, you can hear that chugging bass over punchy double bass drums. The guitar work mainly consists of death metal chugging to build the album’s oppressive atmosphere. There are several moments with more djenty, groovy riffs as well. When combined with hardcore style gang vocals and bursting blast-beat parts, they’re are creating a dynamic shift from the industrial death metal’s cold brutality.
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My favorite tracks are Parasite, very energetic Fortress (it also has short samples from the movie Psycho) and mid-tempo It Haunts us All but actually the songs are not so different than each other. There is an integrated approach to create a monolithic record, and I believe Crawl managed to achieve it on No Way Out. Just take a look at the cover, if that oppressive atmosphere leaves you gasping for air and crushing your insides, I can guarantee listening to No Way Out will make you feel exactly like that.
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CRAWL
EARTH
Pavement/Olympic
"The hang-up with most new bands is their lack of originality, as they most often cull most of their material straight out of a previously existing band's songbook. Problem is, the knock-ff can't old a candle to the originator. The Wisconsin quartet Crawl also have their own identity crisis to contend with, but since they've managed to incorporate some of the best elements of various bands, perhaps their outstanding loans should be forgiven. With a self-financed EP behind them, (WOMB, recorded when they were known as Bleed) this band has carefully scavenged from the likes of Obituary, Fear Factory, and Sepultura to create an aggressive mechanized beast whose single-minded purpose follows those of classic monster films: Trudge. Growl Destroy.
With a crushing guitar sound mixed alongside vocals that blend four parts John Tardy, with a dollop of Max Cavalera, Crawl already has the basis of something weighty on their hands. Throw in some ample KALIFORNIA samples and you know you're dealing with some disturbed individuals here. Yet it's their drum, machine programming that gives them a truly industrial edge (as opposed to following standard double-bass drum patterns) doubling up the intensity of their substantial riffs.
Not everything has to be original - witness Tarantino's Reservoir DOgs, which was essentially a clever pastiche of what filmmakers such as Woo and Lam had done before him. Yet thrown all together it worked brilliantly, and the same goes for Earth. Whether it can be pulled off for another record remains to be seen, but at least for nin songs, these students have upstaged their teachers."
- Ula Gehret