Chained Chained
by Mark Allen
Staff Writer
Chained’s sound can be directly linked to the old-school Christian heavy metal bands of the mid- to late ’80s, when groups like Sacred Warrior, Deliverance, Saint, etc. bulldozed down social and religious barriers to prove that rock ‘n’ roll wasn’t just the devil’s music, that it was okay to mosh for the Master, rock for the Rock, and head-bang for the Holy One. Despite hailing from Sweden, Chained clearly worships at the altar of the early American white-metal movement; the band sounds like a beefed up Barren Cross if fronted by Lemmy from Motorhead. That description right there pretty much tells you whether or not Chained will please your musical palate.
The band’s lyrical approach is bold and evangelistic. Many modern Christian metal acts obscure their faith behind vague lyrics that are either obtuse in their meaning or at the very least open to interpretation from both a sacred and secular slant, but Chained shuns that sort of shadow game. They are one of the increasingly rare Christian metal bands that are not afraid—or ashamed—to actually proclaim the name of Christ. They fly the flag of faith in full view, refusing to compromise their beliefs, and couldn’t care less if it costs them any chance at crossover success. Unfortunately, their songs do occasionally veer into cheese territory with lines like “Jesus died for me upon the cross / Stood before the devil and showed him who’s boss,” but at least there are no doubts about the band’s theology, which is a refreshingly honest approach for a Christian metal band these days.
Musically, this is retro heavy metal, the emphasis on powerful riffs and cranking grooves designed to get your head banging and your fists thrust heavenward in the metal-horns salute. The guitars often mimic Pantera, who the band cites as a major influence on their sound, though the axe-slinging skill is nowhere near that of the dead-too-soon Dimebag Darrell. While Chained sometimes strays into thrash territory and hints of pumping power-metal periodically pop up, the guitars mostly just slam out hard-hitting rhythms, content to take you back to yesteryear and let you bask in the glory of simple, old-fashioned heavy metal. The bass and drums are also suitably thunderous and in keeping with Chained’s old-school approach, there is nary a keyboard in sight.
The production, while not nearly as raw and dated as those old Christian metal albums, also closely mirrors the style of the ‘80s, meaning little studio polish. However, Chained did make the correct choice to beef up the bottom end; you can feel the pounding heartbeat of the drums and the pulsing blood of the bass. Remember listening to, say, those early Bloodgood albums and thinking the sonic quality was thinner than an anorexic waif and tinnier than a soup can factory? No such worries on this CD.
The negative aspects are minimal, but bear mentioning. First is the fact that while borrowing elements from practically every ‘80s band that pioneered Christian heavy metal, Chained brings little of their own identity to the table, comfortably content to pilfer from the past. Then again, depending on your viewpoint, maybe that’s not a negative after all. The other area in which the band could use some improvement is the chorus department. The sound is old-school heavy, the guitars pummel out a plethora of powerful riffs, and the band pours on all sorts of rough ‘n’ ready attitude, but the choruses are kind of banal, at times difficult to decipher from the verses. Then again, the refusal to craft commercial choruses was a signature of early Christian thrash/speed metal, so again, maybe this is not such a negative after all, depending on your personal tastes.
In the end, all Chained set out to do was deliver a nod to the past, a radically retro Christian heavy metal album that served up the crunchy musical goods while also singing praises to the Savior, and they have achieved that goal effortlessly. It’s not the freshest album you’ll hear this year, but it’s not trying to be either. For fans of faith-based metal, this one rocks like hell…or perhaps more accurately, will rock the hell out of you.
Genre: Christian heavy metal
Band:
David Sandstrom (vocals, guitars)
Daniel Persson (guitars)
Jonas Stenlund (bass)
Stefan Nielsen (drums)
Track Listing
1. My Savior, My Lord
2. Shattered Minds
3. Grateful Sinner
4. Tearing Down My Walls
5. Drained
6. Conquerors
7. Bought By Blood
8. Like a Rattlesnake
9. Bound For Glory
10. Can’t Have My Soul
11. The Weakest Are The Strongest
12. War Is Hate
www.chainedmetal.com
www.myspace.com/chainedmetal
Liljegren Records
Hardrock Haven rating: 7/10