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December 2024

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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.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]