Chrome Locust

(MIA)
by Craig Regala

All hail the return of kick ass. Similar to the metal/rock repollination of the punk flower the Hellacopters have pulled off, Chrome Locust heave-ho a nice half hour of pushy, well-recorded power-hooked tunes that belie their punk lineage (Murphys Law, Warzone, Ag-fuckin’-Nostic Front!, pre-suck D-generation), and rocker tastes (a couple of ‘m met at a Kids Indulge in Sipping Soda convention). If you’ve ever liked anthemic, stripped-down, pumped-up whoosh with a strong rock’n’roll groove (i.e. see Testament’s cover of Aerosmith’s “Draw The Line”… Really, ask Popoff, that’s where I filched it), here’s a goodly amount. If you dig the Trouble disc on American recs., or if you ever wanted Kings X to turn their back on The Big Guy and get all hung over and mad, you need this.

Chrome Locust are rooted in potent no-fat arena rock; think very early Maiden, Lizzy’s “Are you Ready To Rock?,” AC/DC’s ’78-’81 stuff, Sabbath on a ‘tard boogie bend (“Hole In the Sky”), as well as no bullshit punk: Ruts, UK Subs, Damned (over there), Tails Of Terror, Effigies, Ramones, GI, SSD, Kraut, Dr. Know, Poison Idea, and a zillion other power chord chompers on this side of the pond. Strip mine it all and slowly run it thru a Thump-It® brand grinder and moosh it into little Kiss Doll figurines covered with salt and vinegar and – holy fuck, Dr. Wiggly! – it’s rock’n’roll!

Or as Mom says, “Tune oriented, well-mixed, clearly-articulated in voice, and guitar strongly put over three piece that could gig with the stoner doom bands and the Zeke/Electric Frankenstein/Speedealer/Scooch Pooch recs. side of el punko.” See, she didn’t even mention the Bad Brains or Dead Boys. Or riff rock. Now if they’d just play with label mates Roadsaw, another kickass riff-rock-a-rama-lama crew… It’s time for Monster Magnet and COC to start picking some of these guys for tour time. It’s their moral duty. My only gripe is the disc’s kinda short, coulda used a couple covers to put it up to the requisite 38 minute mark – say Budgies’ “Guts” and Iron Cross’s “Crucified,” or somethin’ else cool. Oh, Matt of the New Bomb Turks says when they played with ‘m, C. Locust “fucking burned!” So there ya go.
(http://members.aol.com/chrmlocust/locust.html)