Crippled Black Phoenix

Crippled Black Phoenix emerged in 2004 from the ashes of Iron Monkey, when multi-instrumentalist Justin Greaves sought creative renewal after his previous band's dissolution. Conceived as a fluid musical project rather than a fixed ensemble, the band deliberately embraced instability and refused rigid identity structures. In partnership with vocalist and lyricist Belinda Kordic, Greaves created a platform for the marginalized and dispossessed.

Early releases such as A Love of Shared Disasters and The Resurrectionists established Crippled Black Phoenix as masters of long-form composition. Their cinematic arrangements merged post-rock structures with doom metal's emotional weight, while repetitive elements and slow transformations became their signature. I, Vigilante (2012) brought wider recognition without sacrificing their atmospheric density.

White Light Generator and Bronze expanded their textural range through sharper political commentary and more confrontational production approaches. Great Escape functioned as both retrospective and recontextualization, drawing together material from various sessions. In 2020, Ellengæst marked another pivot, utilizing multiple guest vocalists alongside Kordic to explore themes of death, memory, and historical residue.

Banefyre (2022) addressed persecution and societal violence explicitly, while the forthcoming Sceaduhelm (2026) narrows focus toward interior exhaustion and moral attrition. The album represents a deliberate withdrawal from outward spectacle, favoring restraint over release and employing repetition, minimalism, and slow escalation to sustain tension without catharsis.

Throughout their evolution, Crippled Black Phoenix has maintained their commitment to artistic instability and their refusal to offer comfort or easy resolution. Their sound continues to serve as a voice for those deemed different by society, affirming their position as uncompromising chroniclers of human endurance.

Discography

2026 - Sceaduhelm (Season of Mist)
2022 - Banefyre (Season of Mist)
2020 - Ellengæst (Season of Mist)
2018 - Great Escape (Season of Mist)
2016 - Bronze (Season of Mist)
2012 - I, Vigilante (Season of Mist)
2009 - The Resurrectionists (Invada Records)
2007 - A Love of Shared Disasters (Invada Records)

Important EPs
2024 - The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature (Season of Mist)
2024 - Horrific Honorifics Number Two(2) (Season of Mist)
2021 - Painful Reminder / Dead is Dead (Season of Mist)
2018 - Horrific Honorifics (Season of Mist)
2015 - New Dark Age Tour EP 2015 A.D. (Season of Mist)