Critical Assembly

Rank #10 Austin, TX Metal / Hard Rock / Heavy Rock

About

Members: Garren Emerson, Donovan Hand, Pete Navarrete, Matt Olds, Robert Hicks

Sounds Like: Lamb of God, ... PANTERA..., Down, Hatebreed, System of a Down

Bio: Critical Assembly is a modern heavy metal band formed in Austin, Texas in 2006. Previous and Current members of CA have been in other bands such as Un Loco, Exitium, South Paw Stomp, Talent to Offend, Dead Industry and Veritas.

CA's final member lineup formed in 2010 with the addition of Pedro ... See Full Bio

More Info

Press

“Critical Assembly – Okay then. This five member heavy metal wrecking crew from Austin, TX is armed and ready to crush you underfoot. Their song submission strongly reminded me of High On Fire initially, before switching gears for a more Pantera start and stop chorus. Pretty groovy if you ask me. Similar artists include Lamb of God, Hatebreed, and Down. Click the link and get pummeled waveriders.”

— The Ripple Effect, The Ripple Effect

“News report for the Texas Independence Fest An old cotton gin in Maxwell, Texas was transformed to a rocker’s paradise this past weekend. Music lovers camped out—and rocked out—for the annual Texas Independence Festival. YNN’s John Salazar shows us the sights and sounds of this year’s fest in the video link below.”

— John Salazar, Your News Now

“Critical Assembly blend melody with groove for a disc that begins to define the new generation of traditional Heavy Metal. This five piece from Austin deliver songs full of groove layered with vocals that swing between a harsh rasp to a fully melodious quality that merge together quite well. The guitars are not without character, and give the songs an uplifting element that is unique to the band. The juxtaposition of the uplifting guitars with the pummeling bottom end of the bass further adds to the band’s style. The one song that stands out as an example of their sound is, “Invitro Virus.” This song is a four-minute journey of the groove and harmony previously mentioned. The opening track, “Draining the Flood,” gives the listener a taste of heavy edge before the signature groove takes hold and the vocals hold the widest range from nearly growl to the melodic. The album is a quality EP, and shows a band with huge potential and a style that borders original.can’t wait to see”

— Rusty Conner, Lone Star Metal Magazine

“I like this song. It has vocals that remind me a bit of Disturbed, and music that is straight-ahead and hard-drivin'. This is a no-frills composition that still has some musical surprises with its dynamic changes and variety of vocal styles. And it all flows together well. The song is very short, which is good because it leaves the listener wanting more. The musicianship is of high quality and I particularly enjoyed the drumming. I really missed hearing a screaming guitar solo at some point in the song, but the song still works fine without one. The vocalist has a unique quality of voice and a personal delivery style, which help identify this band, and the song-writing has a certain uniqueness in style, too. The production was very good and the big sound enhanced the powerful drive of the song. Overall you've done a good job of song-writing, performing and producing. Keep working on that signature style you seem to be developing. ”

— Leslie J. Bialik, Music Xray

“This band is exactly what you would envisage, bringing what you would expect from a metal band representing Austin, Texas. Just like the cover of their album, Critical Assembly is just plain and simple, no holds barred TEXAS F*CKING METAL!”

— Cody Blue, Ultimate Local Music

“Formed in 2006, Texas band Critical Assembly solidified their lineup in 2010 and released this album shortly after. Critical Assembly have created a solid metal record that borrows from heavy metal, southern metal, modern metal, and all sorts of sounds, all while keeping their own cohesive, heavy sound. At times all-out fierce and at others rhythmic and groovin', there's not one boring moment to be found here. Just as the music is quite varied, so are the vocals, which range from aggressive growls to screams to soaring clean vocals, all with a gritty tone. Overall, I am very impressed with this effort, and I look forward to hearing more music from Critical Assembly.”

— Laura Walters, KVRX FM 91.7

“Lead vocals are the first thing that most listeners pay attention to, so a great performance is essential. Your lead vocals really grabbed us. We don't tag a lot of releases as having great lead vocals, so this is an excellent strength for you to have. We felt the instrumental leads on this album were tuneful, interesting and well-articulated. There's no overplaying here, and nothing seems to be lacking either. Spot on. We think your rhythmic elements on this release can hang with the best of them. Tight, clean and interesting playing.”

— Hello Music

All Press

Status

: We are stoked to be returning to the stage again! Houston, Texas we will be entertaining you tomorrow night at... http://t.co/QtpDW87Feu

Recent Blogs

Critical Assembly Blog
Jan 17, 2011
The official blog for Critical Assembly [more]

All Blogs

Songs

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Play "Draining the Flood"

Draining the Flood

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Play "The Indifference of Good Men "

The Indifference of…

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Play "Feeding the Flesh "

Feeding the Flesh

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Play "Black Earth "

Black Earth

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Play "Invitro Virus"

Invitro Virus

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All Songs

Discography

The Indifference of good Men Released on Mar 1, 2011

Comments

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Sadie Girl
Show stoppers! nice touch boys at TRF
Stitched Up Heart
Hell yeah! Really digging your tunes!!! BTW, we are touring all over Texas starting today in Dallas and ending 3/11 in El Paso. Hope to see you around!!! <x3
Dammit!
man this fucking rocks!
healingcolors
...just surfing through...thank's for love and share...have a rocking xmas time...<3...your punky angel was here...
The Silence
Brutal but superb Metal.Briliant
Ganglion Media
Great sounding production and excellent vocals, guys! Really enjoy the music!

All Comments

Shows

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Sat
May 18

Acadia
Houston, TX, US | 8:00pm
Acadia
Houston, TX, US
Sat May 18 8:00pm
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- Tickets
Sat
May 18

Acadia
Houston, TX, US | 8:00pm
Acadia
Houston, TX, US
Sat May 18 8:00pm
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- Tickets
Sat
Jun 22

Theos Billiards
Corpus Christi, TX, US | 8:00pm
Theos Billiards
Corpus Christi, TX, US
Sat Jun 22 8:00pm
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Sat
Jun 29

Dirty Dog Bar
Austin, TX, US | 8:00pm
Dirty Dog Bar
Austin, TX, US
Sat Jun 29 8:00pm
Details

Critical Assembly CD Release Party Every person that purchases an advance ticket will receive one digital download card of Critical Assembly's new album, as well as one rubber Critical Assembly wristband! ** This event is ALL AGES, however, anyone under the age of 21 will be charged an additional 'minor surcharge' of $5 at the door. Everyone MUST present a valid I.D. at the door to enter the venue. **
Sat
Jul 6

The Rail Club
Fort Worth, TX, US | 6:00pm
The Rail Club
Fort Worth, TX, US
Sat Jul 06 6:00pm
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