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November 2024

• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

[ More Music Reviews ]

Chained: Chained

Heavy Metal

4.0/5.0

Liljegren Records
www.chainedmetal.com
www.myspace.com/chainedmetal
By Craig Hartranft,  11.14.2010

While American Christians metal bands are obscuring, nearly subverting, the Christian faith in hardcore music and obtuse indeterminate lyrics, Sweden's Chained displays their faith with great clarity. The context is quite heavy metal flavored with bits of thrash and power metal within an old school flair. You'll probably hear influence from Metallica to Pantera to early Anthrax. Listening to vocalist David Sandstrom's you can add dash of a Motorhead also. Sandstrom ranges of from a gruff heavy metal to a semi-melodic, whiskey-laced, growl. Put his vocals together with the music of Drained or Like a Rattlesnake, and Chained is what Motorhead might sound like if Lemmy converted to Christianity.

Otherwise, the whole of Chained's debut is immensely heavy metal that can bristle along like the aforementioned Drained or simply pound away like My Savior, My Lord or Grateful Sinner. Then that bit of classic thrash appears within War is Hate. If Christian metal can be solemn and brooding, yet passionate, then The Weakest Are the Strong displays these characteristics. But fundamentally, like the entire album, it's well-grounded kick-ass, take no prisoners, old school metal. American Christian bands could learn a lesson in heavy metal history and Christian persuasion from Chained. Recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Chained's debut is both well-grounded in Christian clarity and kick-ass, take no prisoners, old school metal. American Christian bands could learn a lesson in heavy metal history and Christian persuasion from Chained.

Alphabetical Index

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]