Chrome Division – Booze, Broads & Beelzebub
Nuclear Blast Records

(5/5)

Norway’s bad boys of Rock are back and they couldn’t be better! With a mixture of the Punk-like speed and vocal style of Motörhead, the Delta Blues style of ZZ Top, and the overall bad ass attitude of the five man all-star line-up, Chrome Division’s sophomore album Booze, Broads, & Beelzebub is the new soundtrack to rebellion! Altogether there are 13 tracks of pure octane fueled Biker rock (or Biker metal) that can’t be beat! Leading this brutal attack are the ash-throated vocals of Eddie Guz (also of The Carburetors) being supported by the vicious solos and backing vocals by lead guitarist Ricky Black, the raucous guitar riffs and back-up vocals of Shagrath (also of Dimmu Borgir), the smooth bass lines and backing vocals of Björn Luna (also of Ashes to Ashes), and the pounding drums provided by Tony White (also of Minas Tirith). As far as the overall album goes, I couldn’t ask for a better sequel to Chrome Division’s 2006 debut album Doomsday Rock ‘n’ Roll. Booze, Broads, & Beelzebub keeps the same style as Doomsday Rock ‘n’ Roll in the fact that it really satisfies your needs for a raw, booze fueled band that kicks out some good tunes. As far as the individual tracks go, it’s hard to choose real favorites, but there are a few tracks I prefer. “The Second Coming” (Track 1) and “Booze, Broads, & Beelzebub” (Track 2/title track) go together because of the way the link together. You can’t beat this opening for this style of music. Also on the list are “Sharp Dressed Man” (Track 11/ZZ Top cover), “Raven Black Cadillac” (Track 4), and “The Boys From the East” (Track 8). “The Boys From the East” is an overall great track, but the beginning of it is also one of my favorite parts of the entire album. It starts with some conversation put over a nice Blusey guitar riff before Eddie comes in yelling “Hit it!” and they go into the regular song. The overall song also has a great groove to it that I really like. As far as “Sharp Dressed Man” goes, I just have to say that these guys did a great job on that cover and truly put their spin on it. ‘Nuff said. All in all, this is another great album put out by another great side project band. Chrome Division has really grown on me since their debut in 2006 and I certainly recommend this album to anybody looking for some raw Biker metal and not a lot of flash. If you’re just looking for sweeping guitars, crazy screamed vocals, and insane double bass, don’t get this album!

OPM – Golden State of Mind
Suburban Noize Records

(4/5)

OPM is back with their fourth album since their debut Menace to Sobriety released in 2000. The newest album is entitled Golden State of Mind and this album is great! Keeping with the OPM style, Golden State of Mind provides a great mix of Reggae, Rock, and Rap with assistance from a few outside artists including Jim Perkins, Big B, Jamie Allensworth, and more. Honestly, I had never gotten too deep into OPM’s material before this album, but I cannot put this album down! The combination of the three styles put into this album really plays to my eclectic preference in music. I definitely recommend this album more to people who like Reggae, but I would never discourage anyone from picking it up. The overall product is well put together, but there are a couple tracks I prefer over the rest. My favorite track is “Feel the Vibration” (Track 1). This song puts a nice Rock beat together with Reggae style guitars and vocals featuring Jim Perkins of Southern California band Dumbluck. Other than “Feel the Vibration”, I suggest checking out “Set it on Fire” (Track 8 ) featuring Jamie Allensworth of California band NAFRO and “Dirty White” (Track 5) featuring rapper Big B. “Set it on Fire” is just another great example of OPM’s Reggae style and “Dirty White” is one of the songs that implements the Rap element of OPM’s sound. Overall, I, again, recommend Golden State of Mind to any Reggae fans, but it’s also a great album for anyone looking to expand their musical tastes.