From their Facebook page, CRAWL BELOW is a Connecticut-based one-man project spanning Black Metal, D-Beat Punk, Doomgaze, Acoustic, and Post Metal, all focused on New England legends and Lovecraft. "9 Mile Square" is a concept album about Norwich, Connecticut. "Feed the Towers" is about the casinos. "Fire on the Hill" is about Lantern Hill. "Kingdom of the Ruined" is about the Norwich State Hospital. "Monument" is about Miantonomo. "Tarnished The Name" is about the traitor Benedict Arnold. "Nine Mile Square" is about current day Norwich. The album contains six tracks.

"Feed the Towers Above the Trees" opens the album. It begins with a slow and hopeful sound. The vocals are very expressive...sad and melancholy. The guitars build this pretty little melody...it's like a lone flower growing in the lowest plain of hell. "Fire on the Hill" is much shorter, but still with that dejected sound. Charlie's vocals are poignant, and the lead guitar notes support the sound quite well. "Kingdom of the Ruined" is another sad affair. They remind me of the softer, more introspective side of THE CURE. It rolls forward with utter loneliness and feelings of insecurity. Clean guitars, bass and soft vocals take the song to completion.

"Monument" is yet another slow grind, with an opening riff that exudes power and might. The harmonies in the chorus are absolutely beautiful. "Tarnished the Name" opens with a heavy riff and bass notes. It's another lumbering song that soaks in slowly. It crawls to some clean guitar notes in two harmonic passages. "9 Mile Square" close the album; a seven-minute beast. Hopeful tones open the song, but are soon dashed by those fears and insecurity that come bubbling back up to the surface.

This album is not for the faint of heart. The sad tones will amplify any feelings of loneliness or dejection that you might be currently feeling. Charlie does a nice job of riding the fence between despair and hope, with several different techniques. I have mentioned this before in other reviews...that deep and meaningful beauty can be found in sad music, and that is certainly the case here. It makes you feel as though your life has no meaning, yet a glimmer of hope remains to keep you putting one foot in front of the other.