With their 2002 debut album Bitterness The Star, 36 Crazyfists proved to be one of the most prominent bands ever to emerge from Alaska. A bold mixture of nu-metal, metalcore, and post-hardcore that was timely as much as it was effective, the album introduced the unique vocals of Brock Lindow to the world. While never quite as big as many of metalcore’s most popular bands, it was 2004’s A Snow Capped Romance which brought them the most attention they’d ever have in their career.
With less influence from nu-metal and a more streamlined approach, the songs on A Snow Capped Romance were simply bigger than anything they’d tried before, and it shows. The evolution is clear on songs like “The End Of August” and “Bloodwork” – while they still contain a notable nu-metal influence, these songs have massively sharp vocal hooks that also differentiated 36 Crazyfists from almost every other metalcore band in the scene at the time. In fact, it might be more appropriate to label them (at least initially) on the side of post-hardcore more than anything else. Either way, this album, released on March 16th, 2004, is a passionate balance between the heavy and melodic. And it’s somehow overlooked and a bit underrated even now.
