Live Review: Crowbar - KK's Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
24th February 2026
Support: Legions of Doom, Silverburn
Photos: Tim Finch
There are heavy shows, and then there are those with weight shows. Crowbar at KK's Steel Mill was very a combination of both, an evening where every riff felt like it was crushing your very soul. Wolverhampton has seen its fair share of volume over the years, but this bill was about more than sheer decibels, it was about legacy, lineage and the recent rise in popularity of a band who have been treading the boards for more than thirty five years
Opening the night were South Wales rising bruisers Silverburn, who wasted no time in establishing a thick, oppressive atmosphere. ‘Simulacreality’ and ‘Pain Body (Torn From Auric Field)’ rolled out on waves of down-tuned hostility, the guitars coated in grit while the rhythm section locked into a hypnotic groove. There’s a confidence to Silverburn’s delivery, Jimbob Isaac knows how to command an audience from his previous bands, and he had the Wolverhampton crowd in the palm of his hands.
By the time they reached the gloriously titled ‘The Unrelenting Will of Boundless Immortality’ the room was fully dialled in. A Wolverhampton crowd may not form circle pits for this style of heaviness, but they bathed in the sound and appreciated every ear bending note. ‘Bathe In Fire’ and ‘Etheric Crush’ leaned harder into a sludge-drenched stomp, while closer ‘Formless Atomization of Omniscient Particulate’ was as pulverising as its name suggests. Silverburn’s stock is rising and this tour has won them many new fans!
Next came Legions of Doom, who are a bona fide doom supergroup featuring former members of Saint Vitus, Trouble and Corrosion of Conformity. That lineage alone drew a palpable buzz from the crowd, and from the first hulking riff it was clear this wasn’t a nostalgia exercise, this was a celebration of heavy metals greatest sub-genre.
Their sound carried that classic doom DNA: cavernous guitar tones and vocals that balanced grit with melody. Closing with a pair of covers that sent a ripple of appreciation through the room. ‘Psychotic Reaction’ paid homage to Trouble’s towering legacy, while ‘Dance of the Dead’ was dedicate by Karl Agell to the late Reed Mullin and brought a dose of Southern-tinged heft in his honour. It was a fitting reminder of where these musicians have come from and how much gravitas their names still carry.
Then, of course, came Crowbar, and this night showed how much the band have grown in the past year. Less than twelve months ago they didn’t sell out the 500 capacity venue they played a few miles down the road in Birmingham, tonight they have sold over 800 tickets. Add to this, there is a distinctly younger element in attendance tonight, whilst the regular 30+ year old crowd of bearded sludge fans remained, there were a lot of late teens/early 20 year olds in the room.
Never before has anyone witnessed the barrier at a Crowbar show being full of younger ladies in corpse paint, but tonight that’s what we have. The reason for this growth in popularity amongst the next generation? One may attribute it to the bands rising use of TikTok, but can this be the sole reason? We may never know. However, it is great to see the influx of new fans to heavy metal’s greatest of sub-genres.
From the opening churn of ‘…And Suffer as One’ the tone was set, no frills, just monolithic riffing delivered with absolute conviction. ‘The Lasting Dose’ and ‘I Feel the Burning Sun’ hit with that signature blend of hardcore urgency and doom-laden melancholy, the band sounding as tight and punishing as ever. The low end in particular felt seismic, each note vibrating through the floor of KK’s wonderful Steel Mill.
Mid-set cuts like ‘To Carry the Load’ and ‘Conquering’ emphasised the band’s backbone. There’s a physicality to Crowbar’s performance, not in terms of flashy stagecraft, but in the sheer force of delivery. Every riff feels vibrates your ribcage as you watch in awe.
When the unmistakable opening of ‘Planets Collide’ rang out, the room collectively leaned in. It remains one of sludge metal’s defining anthems, live it tears the roof off, and brings out the crowd surfers… something never before heard of at a Crowbar show and one leaving the unexpectant security a little perplexed.
Closing staples ‘Like Broken Glass’ and ‘All I Had (I Gave)’ were delivered with raw power. There was no encore theatrics, no overindulgence, just a band that understands exactly who they are and what they do best. Decades into their career Crowbar remain masters of controlled devastation and long may it continue.
Photo Credits: Tim Finch Photography
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