Chrome Division

Booze, Broads and Beelzebub (Nuclear Blast)
By Martin Popoff

Second round ’round for this fun-time biker metal diversion for Dimmu’s Shagrath, who admirably proves his mettle by being one of Chrome Division‘s two guitarists, adding background vocals, but leaving lead throat duties to Eddie Guz, who really makes these songs roar with beery belching pride. Not many will remember The Boyzz or (the Canadian) Fist or Handsome Beasts, but this guy sounds like he’s earned his patches like Dirty Dan and Ron and Fat Guy. Essentially, musically, this is high quality, uptempo biker metal with way better riffs and sequencing and flow than the first one (you know, it’s sort of metalcore compared to the debut’s hardcore – more going on this time). The production is bulbous and explosive yet warm with fat drums and grinding guitars like Motörhead meets Hammerlock. And you wouldn’t think “Sharp Dressed Man” could turn out all that impressive, but the band chugs and grooves it and basically renovates until it rumbles like Bible of The Devil or Brand New Sin. There’s a Turbonegro or Nashville Pussy vibe as well, with everything shot to hell, so let’s drink. Mischievous yet earnest stuff, with huge pure metal riffs that help move the band beyond its previous polite joke status, indeed, a good 58% of the time sounding like the dirty hair metal of Slash at his heaviest.
(www.nuclearblastusa.com)