Attitude - Big Review !!

CHROME LOCUST

Chrome Locust was the first in a trio of CDs I received from MIA / Tee Pee Records, and is one of the most enjoyable albums I've heard in ages. The Locust draws heavily from Backyard Babies and Black Sabbath - two fantastic bands in their own right - and manages to create something moderately original.

From start to finish the trio belt out catchy rhythms, anthemic melodies, and wah-infused heavy rock 'n' roll. The vocals from Todd Youth and Michael Wildwood do justice to the album, and the simple lyrics are great.

As always with any Sabbath influenced music, there is the obligatory reference; this time in the song Teendream, with the line 'Play asteroids to Paranoid'.

Kevin's verdict: Just buy the damned thing!!

Chrome Locust are an interesting proposition. Mixing punk with rock ala Backyard Babies they have produced an album of quality. Most of the songs are less than four minutes long and are designed to be short sharp shots to the system. Occasionally the band can fall into slightly too much tried and tested ground (i.e. the Ramones have done this before), but overall the album mixes things up nicely, varying pace from straight forward punk, as in Ain’t No Love, with more tripped out songs such as the Cycle of Birth and Death. One complaint I do have is over the song New World Disorder. I’m sorry guys that title is just too cliched, but hey the song's good so who cares.

Chrome Locust do have a good ear for a catchy song and know how to rock when they need to. Overall this would be a nice addition to your Hellacopters cds, although next time the guys could maybe slot a few more numbers on the album.

Graeme's Rating: **********

I suppose the most obvious comparison is with the Backyard Babies, what with a large proportion of the songs having a similar vocal, guitar, and drum style, but Chrome Locust don't quite go at the same breakneck speed. There's a wider variety of influences here, though, with some songs having a dreamy Stoner quality, the lumbering Sabbathy sound of Heavy Medication. The vocals on New World Disorder even have a Brit Rock feel to them.

I suspect Chrome Locust have wide musical tastes and any subsequent albums are bound to explore them further.

Wolfbitch's verdict: A very enjoyable album with a good bouncy vibe to many of the songs.

This New York trio’s debut album is an interesting mix of energetic metal, punk, pop, plus God knows what else. Very reminiscent of Backyard Babies in parts, though there’s more to their sound than that, as becomes apparent after a couple of listens. The catchiness and power behind the songs on this album is what makes them grow on you the more you listen to them.

Although the style of this album isn’t exactly what you’d call groundbreakingly original by any means, the songwriting’s good enough to make up for it. And after all, it has to be said, that good ol’ fashioned rock n’ roll is always welcome in my book - especially when it’s done as well as it’s done here.

Scott