u/MrHockeyJournalist

I've been a chorus user for a long time. I have both an old Danelectro Chorus and a TC Electronic Echobrain Chorus that honestly is a really underrated pedal.

I'm very spartan with my pedals. I prefer the natural sound of an amp. I'm using an Orange Rocker 15 and I use the Sabbra Cadabra pedal as a Treble Boost (I just turn up the Vol. 4 nob, leave the gain on low and the other knobs at noon), a Tube Screamer as a lead boost and an EQ. (Some say EQ is only good for recording but I can get a lot of cool sounds just playing. I think EQ pedals are underrated for playing).

But I usually found the Chorus great for thickening up riffs. Recently, i was told by a few people in real life to give Delay a try and it will make your riffs even thicker and it's better than chorus. I got a Boss Delay used for cheap.

However, maybe I'm just not dialing in right. But even with a very short delay, the riffs don't really sound thicker. It can sound cool but I almost prefer to use it when playing my classic rock/classic metal stuff and not my doom playing. I can get great Van Halen, Judas Priest, Blue Oyster Cult (delay is awesome for Reaper), Metallica (especially for AJFA era) etc tones with it.

My main theory is, most of the people who gave me the advice are not doom players. I don't really know any doom players in real life. I'm wondering for the fuzzy riffs, chorus just works better with the fuzz over clean distortion and it does a better job of creating a thick wall of sound? As where delay works better with traditional clean distortion for thickening?

My other theory is, I got so used to the chorus over the last few years that delay just sounds different and I'm not sure I like it yet?

Hey part of guitar is experimenting and dialing things in.

For me it's probably

1. Sonic Excess in Its Purest Form - I'm probably preaching to the choir with this one. I think among most Crowbar fans this is typical considered their peak and when they became none heavier (no seriously, look at the booklet of the album. They really became none heavier). The riffs are great. Of course The Lasting Dose and To Build a Mountain are classics. Thru the Ashes and Repulsive in Its Splendid Beauty are also top Crowbar tracks for me.

2. Odd Fellows Rest - Odd Fellows Rest is an odd ball in Crowbar fandom. It's not overrated by any means but I feel like it's become sort of overrated by the Crowbar fandom that it's underrated. What I mean, I Odd Fellows Rest is universally known as the album that contains Planets Collide. I often feel in real life (and when I saw Crowbar back in 2023) that's all this album seems to be remembered for. But honestly, while not as strong as Sonic. The riffs, tone and writing is great. Scattered Pieces Lay, To Carry the Load and 1000 Year Internal War are all amazing tracks. For me personal Scattered Pieces Lay ranks up there with Planets for how good it is. It's a top 5 song for me. Then on the splatter vinyl they released a few years ago, their cover of Iron Maiden's Remember Tomorrow is great and ranks up there with No Quarter for a great cover.

3. Time Heals Nothing - I have to thank the Gen Z/Tik Tok Crowbar fans for this one. I feel like back in the 2000s and 2010s, this album kind of got lost in the shuffle. I heard it but really didn't know it. Part of that two is that even up as recently as 2023, Kirk rarely played any songs from this album live. Embracing Emptiness has become the internet's favorite Crowbar song even over Planets Collide in recent years and I have to agree that it's a top 5 song. It's amazing. Also The Only Factor, Time Heals Nothing and Lack of Tolerance are great. The other thing that grew on me with this album is that Kirk's 80s Hardcore Punk influences are strongly on display here. A lot of the riffs and break downs really remind me of "Slip it In" era Black Flag and Minor Threat. I say this is Crowbar's album that embraces the Hardcore/punk side of sludge more than the doom/Sabbath influence of sludge and I think that's why for so many years within the fandom, this album was kind of underrated.

4. Crowbar - This is where Crowbar became Crowbar and really give us the iconic riffs and pioneered Sludge metal. All of us love All I Had (I Gave), Existence Is Punishment, Negative Pollution and High Rate Extinction. Of course Crowbar's cover of No Quarter is probably their most famous cover. I always tell people the cover is if No Quarter ended up on Vol. 4 or Sabatoge instead of Houses of the Holy.

5. Symmetry in Black - I don't think anyone hates Symmetry in Black, most people love it. I think by many though, it's considered a "new Crowbar" album and isn't considered part of the classic era from Crowbar - Sonic. But when it was released back in 2014, it was a big deal and rebrought Crowbar back into the forefront of the metal world and got a lot of metalheads that were more into Black metal, death metal and metalcore to check out Crowbar. Walk with Knowledge Wisely is a top 5 favorite for me and one of the best riffs Kirk ever wrote. Out of all of the albums from Lifesblood through Zero, it's my favorite for sure.

Honorable Mentions - Broken Glass. Broken Glass is a great album but for me personally, I think Symmetry just tops it. Not but much but it does. Broken Glass is still classic Crowbar during their classic era. Equilibrium I think most fans agree, it's the weakest of the Crowbar-Sonic era. But still good. I Feel the Burning Sun has remained a live staple along with Planets for a reason. Usually it's the show opener at most Crowbar shows.

Kirk, the riff beast, riff lord, beard of doom must have one hell of a guitar collection. Ive been watching tons of old live videos recently and I didnt realize how many different guitars and types of guitars Kirk has owned and played.

From Gibson Explorers to Gibson Les Pauls to ESP Vipers to Ibanez Destroyers to even an Ibanez Iceman and believe or not a few superstrats in the 90s. Also at one point what appears to be an Ibanez Double Cut in the very early 2000s. Even a black beauty Les Paul Custom as well.

But for me, I mostly associate him with his ESP/LTD Vipers and his Ibanez Destroyer as well as his Gibson Explorer. I think his Ibanez Destroyers though are the guitars I picture him playing in my head. Probably has to do with getting into Crowbar in the very late 2000s and those were the guitars he was seen playing in holding in videos and photos at the time. Along with his purple Viper.

I think he loves all kinds of guitars but always loved the Explorer shape the most. Hence his personal design for his Solar guitars.

I know Kirk has down many rig rundowns over the years but I hope one day he does a tour of his full collection.

Also one that specializes with First Time Home Buyers. One that is good at looking for all of the different loans/grants available. I know of the FHA Loan but I also know NYS has a few of their own.

I was told to post here from the Saratoga sub. I was told there may be a group of guys that play roller hockey at east field on Haskell ave. Anyone know when they play?

I know there is tons of Ice Hockey in the area. I play both. But roller hockey was my first love and I miss having a group of friends to get together on a Sunday morning or weekday night and just playing pick up roller hockey. Casual, just for fun.

I know south of Albany in Bethlehem there is an indoor roller hockey league. Last year, when I stopped at the Pure Hockey, one of the customers there told me he remember a few years ago a group of guys would sometimes have really casual roller hockey at one of the parks in the area. He wasn't sure which one or where though.

Potential first time homebuyer here. I have family that lives South of Albany, I've been to Saratoga Springs many times. I kind of want a semi-rural kind of life/dewling. I've been look online at homes in these areas. I've noticed especially around Lake Desolation homes seem to be really cheap. I know some of them are only 3 season homes but even the 4 season homes with Propane heating seem fairly cheap compared to homes just a few miles down the road. Any reason why?

I'll be up in a few weeks and plan to take a drive or motorcycle ride around the area. For anyone that lives in the areas, how do you like it?

I kind of want a semi-rural house but still close to Saratoga Springs, Glens Falls and can be to Albany fairly quickly. Also can be to NYC via train in a few hours. So the area seems good.