CHROME - “Scaropy”
By Dark Starr
CHROME is one of those acts that aren't an obvious fit under progressive rock. That said, they have a real artsy edge to everything they do. They also have a lot of space rock in the mix. I'd also say that the art-edge of things like THE RESIDENTS can be heard in their mix of sounds. So, I generally think of them as proggy, at least. No matter how you feel about that, if you like artistic music with a weird, heavy and metallic meets industrial edge, you should give this a try. It's a great album.
Keyboard textures bring the opening title track in. From there acoustic guitar rises upward. The two things make up the introduction. Then it drives out with some seriously heavy metallic stomping. There is a dreamy, trippy quality to the vocals on the track. Some operatic vocals later bring the art rock concept home. There is a metal meets space kind of vibe overall to the song. I can hear some hints of ALICE COOPER on it, too.
Next comes "H Of Spades." There is a driving HAWKWIND-like feeling to the tune, but with a more distorted, metallic texture added to the mix. It is fierce, furious and so cool. Another that feels like a more distorted and metallic HAWKWIND, "Terminate" is crazed.
Keyboards and tuned percussion sounds bring an intriguing angle as "New Happy Fortune" gets underway. It works out with some driving elements that make me think of THE RESIDENTS to a large degree. The cut is so strange and so cool. It gets pretty driving later, but then shifts to something that feels like it belongs in a science fiction show.
Noisy, distorted and rocking,"Hello Sunshine" feels so much like HAWKWIND to me. It's a killer space rocking piece. "Night Nurse" comes next, and more driving, metallic space rock is on the menu. It is another with a lot of HAWKWIND in the mix. Weird keyboard textures with some conversation in another language is the order of business on the fairly short number that bears the title "Tataria."
Another cut that has a lot of HAWKWIND in the mix, "An Open Letter" feels punky, artsy and yet metallic, too. It's a driving screamer. "Push" is another that feels quite HAWKWIND-like. Sure, it's more distorted, but even the processing on the vocals seems like something that would fit on a Hawk-tune. It is a powerhouse rocker.
Freaky industrial music with a driving space edge makes up the concept of "They're Coming To Get You ". "Kilauea: is next, and weird trippy sounds are on display over the top of a driving rhythm section. Manipulated voice samples bring some cool oddities to it. Another driving rocker, "The Opposition" has a real Goth vibe, but there is still plenty of space rock built into it, too.