It would be remiss not to mention Chrome Division’s lineup since it was Dimmu Borgir vocalist Shagrath’s vision to create the band and he rallied together his troops to do so. Today’s incarnation includes Luna of Ashes to Ashes on bass, Eddie Guz of The Carburetors on vocals, and Tony White of Minas Tirith on Drums. Shagrath’s own contribution to the band is sharing guitar duties with Ricky Black.

Musically it is better to take your cue from the band name and the title of their debut album 'Doomsday Rock ‘N Roll'. The band are Norwegian but their music is in the same vein as NWOBHM and reminds me of bands such as Blitzkrieg, as well as The Almighty, or Motorhead at a push. In fact it could be compared to Motorhead as the lyrical content is similarly unthinking as a lot of Motorhead’s earlier work and, like Lemmy, I find Chrome Division’s attitude to women questionable based on 'Hate' and 'We Want More' - but I may be wrong in this or perhaps they speak from experience so I have to ignore my slight irritation at what seem to be patronising attitudes. Grrr. So yes, it’s all about sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.

Yes, 'Doomsday Rock ‘N Roll' is a good album but I would prefer something a little more innovative, such as the 'hell yeah' music of Ironsword or Battlewitch. Chrome Division do not have a 'manufactured' sound as such, they are just a touch clichéd. What 'saves their bacon' for me are the tiny hints at their Norwegian background and the marches played on the drums (such as on 'Doomsday Overture') without straying too far from the straightforward metal style they have chosen to play. It’s an easy album to like and the only weak track as such is the female backing vocals in 'We Want More' which I dislike.

The overall feel of the album is one of fun and yes it’s an enjoyable album. The last track ends with the spoken phrase 'Go on, piss off' which makes me laugh. I have to admit (grudgingly as ever) that the actual music is good - fast and furious with lots of great solos. There is no way I would have guessed that this is Shagrath’s band - it will be a selling point for Dimmu Borgir fans but for those who don’t like them don’t let the line-up put you off, give it a fair hearing. If you like good old-fashioned rock n roll about time-honoured subjects like 'Trouble With The Law' which speaks for itself, you can’t go far wrong with Chrome Division - like the band themselves say on the track 'Chrome Division', 'Come hear us, come see us'.

****

Review by Amanda Hyne

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