Interview with Björn Luna from Chrome Division

Chrome Division
Björn Luna – Bass

1. What made you want to be a bass player? How long have you been playing?

- Coincidence. I started to play guitar, and the band I was with needed a bass player. So I skipped two strings and from there I’ve been totally comfortable with it. I’ve played since I was 15. I’m 36 now, so it’s been a while.

2. Who are some of your main influences?

- I’ve been influenced by whole bands and not just single musicians. So I must say Kiss, as they were my very first contact with the Rock world. They meant a lot to me in my teenage years. After that bands like Iron Maiden, Motörhead, ZZ Top, Black Sabbath, etc, made my life more livable back in the teenage years.

3. Getting a bit more personal, I understand you like Monty Python. Do you prefer the movies or the actual show? Why?

- I prefer the movies. Because they are so worked through and successful. The series was more varied in quality, even though some of the classic hilarious stuff is from there.

4. I also understand that you like the TV show Futurama. Who is your favorite character?

- Yeah, I love Futurama. It’s a shame that they were canceled. It’s of course a relief that they have started up again and have released two good films. But I prefer shorter episodes. My favorite character is Zapp Brannigan, but I think the whole community (Bender, Fry, Leela and the Professor) is very strong characters and they all work so good together.

5. Getting back to the band, how would you compare Chrome Division with other bands and projects you have been in?

- Once I played in a band called Sideburn Satan. This band had a lot of the same attitude. It was more Punk Rock, but still. I’ve, in fact, transferred lyrics from that band to Chrome Division. It’s the song “Raven Black Cadillac”, which was a song that never made it to an album with Sideburn Satan. The differences are much more evident comparing with my main band Ashes to Ashes. The music in that band is almost the opposite of Chrome Division. Very long songs with layers on layers of music. Theme and time changes and of course lyrics that are far more dark and complex. So playing in Chrome Division is in a way more relaxed and easy. And more fun :) .

6. What are your feelings on the final product of Booze, Broads, & Beelzebub?

- You know, that’s a bit strange because we recorded this as early as January this year. So we’ve been living with the album for a long time now. I was a bit skeptic to what the studio guys could do with the sound. They make tremendous Metal sound, but we’re more Rock ‘n’ Roll and need a more live and dirty sound. I take it all back. It was real powerful and rough. It couldn’t be better.
The cool thing is that, in spite of the time, the album still sounds really cool and I don’t get tired of it.

7. How would you compare the new album to Doomsday Rock ‘n’ Roll?

- There’s no huge differences, but the variation is more evident. We’ve incorporated a little bit more Punk and good doze of Metal in addition to our Rock ‘n’ Roll basis. The songs are stronger and more instantly catchy. Also this time the production is better. It sounds more powerful due to a good and expensive studio. The debut was a very spontaneous album, and this one is more worked through.

8. What motivation did you use in writing your bass parts for either album?

- The motivation, I guess, comes from the other guys in the band. We all give a lot from ourselves, and that makes us give a lot back to each other. I follow the guitars for the most parts, but some places I stick to the rhythms.

9. Lastly, what can we expect from Chrome Division in the future?

- Hopefully a lot of live shows. We’re really eager to play live now. We’re currently rehearsing a killer live set, consisting of the best from the two albums, plus a surprise or two. After that we will make more songs. We’ve already made one song for the third album, and we have a lot of good riffs lying around. So we’ll see what the future brings. Either way I can promise more fist banging Rock from us in the future.

Cheers, and thanx for the support.

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Chrome Division – Booze, Broads, & Beelzebub

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!

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