Chug

Metalon (Alias)
by Sheril Stanford

New Zealand is a country in the South Pacific that lies due south of Australia. The Maori people call it home (remember Harvey Keitel in The Piano?), and so does Chug. The quirky band’s third offering, Metalon, features vampy vocals from Norma O’Malley (formerly with girl group Look Blue Go Purple) paired with the monotone voice of bassist/vocalist Alf Danielson (formerly with the 3Ds) set to mood-swing music that alternates between melodic pop with a New Wave kick, to eerie thick moody metal, and back again. Instrumental “Detuned” is a standout, equal parts Black Sabbath and Mystery Theatre.