Chained - Chained

Published Thursday 16th June 2011
Chained - Chained
Chained - Chained

STYLE: Hard Music
RATING 6 6 6 6 6 6
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 107283-17780
LABEL: Cargo
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1

Reviewed by Graeme Crawford

Chained hail from Sweden, and are described in their promotional material as "a mixture of Pantera, Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax with a slice of Motorhead." Big claims and, unfortunately they fail to live up to such exaggerated claims. You can hear the influences strongly, but most of the tracks are mid-paced and lacking in real ingenuity. "Grateful Sinner" has an imaginative rolling riff, while "Drained" is the fast, thrash-style song that the aforementioned bands would suggest should be their forte. The lead guitar solos demonstrate the requisite technical ability and suggest that they band can be more creative. The vocals are in the style of Lemmy from Motorhead, with a pinch of Dave Mustaine's sneering delivery. However, it feels sometimes like Chained's vocalist David Sandstrom is forcing himself into that voice and it is not his natural style. The lyrics are quite interesting and God-focused, if sometimes leaning towards the clichéd. The record is further let down by a muffled production, with the guitar riffs being a bit muted and the drums sounding like there are tea towels on the skins. You can see what the guys are trying to achieve, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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