(CD/LP, Nuclear Blast Records, 2014)
“Back to the basics” might be the phrase that was circling inside the mind of the Norwegian Doomsday Rock & rollers CHROME DIVISION after the release of their third studio effort “3rd Round Knockout” almost three years ago, simply because in their fourth full length release they decided to embrace the ol’ good recipe of MOTÖRHEAD-meets-Zakk Wylde-meets-early-HELLYEAH and give a hearty dose of old-school and modern Rock at the same time, accompanied by some really cool riffs.
“Infernal Rock Eternal” contains 12 high-octane Rock ‘n Rollers that fall into the aggressive yet melodic category of dirty Rock with lots of aces upon its sleeves (yup, expect lots of uncle Lemmy references too). The instrumental “Good Morning Riot” prepares the ground for what is about to follow with a warlike marching intro and a couple of acoustic guitars that pass the baton without further ado to “Endless Nights” which definitely brings a Scandinavian Hard Rock layer on the table that, combined to Shagrath’s characteristic, gruff-y vocals, painting CHROME DIVISION’s renewed face. Sure, it’s almost an unwritten rule that the third album is the most crucial to a band’s career, while the fourth one closes the circle allowing musicians to regroup and freshen up their agenda and I guess this sentence describes successfully the case of Shagrath’s league in anno 2014. “(She’s) Hot Tonight” follows the same dirty Hard Rock pattern but including some beloved MOTÖRHEAD tunes in the heavy riff arsenal, while the following “The Absinthe Voyage” shows some signs of improvement since the release of the previous album, with a more complex and definitely catchy character that is perfect for serious headbanging, foot-tapping etc. Well, you may agree with me that moments like “No Bet For Free” (that copies in a way the main riffage of MOTÖRHEAD’s “Bomber”) or the Punk-head “Ol” will not reinvent the wheel but I’ll let this slide due to the surprise coming with a song before the middle of the album; “Lady Of A Perpetual Show” and its soulful badass character may become CHROME DIVISION’s golden horn that will attract the old and new fans raising – again – the expectations.
So, fill up your flask with the finest bourbon (16-age or more), give your boots a good shine and wear your stetson proudly ‘cause the CHROME DIVISION gang is back for good with a helluva Rock album packed with a “Sons Of Anarchy”-like character, guarantying to warm up a bit your days and the (even colder) nights. No more is needed to be said except... long live Doomsday Rock n`Roll!
8/10
Links:
www.MySpace.Com/ChromeDivision
www.FaceBook.Com/ChromeDivision
www.Twitter.Com/ChromeDivision
Tracklist:
01. Good Morning Riot
02. Endless Nights
03. (She’s) Hot Tonight
04. The Absinthe Voyage
05. Lady Of Perpetual Sorrow
06. The Moonshine Years
07. No Bet For Free
08. On The Run Again
09. Mistress In Madness
10. Reaper On The Hunt
11. You’re Dead Now
12. Ol
Lineup:
Shady Blue - Vocals
Shagrath - Guitars
Mr Damage - Guitars
Ogee - Bass
Tony White - Drums