If there’s one subgenre of metal that I’m surprised has yet
to really take off, it would have to be black ‘n’ roll. On the surface, this
style combines the ever-popular extreme metal vocals with a punk-infused speed
metal sound. Drawing its influences from Motorhead and Venom, among others, it
really does astound me that few bands other than Midnight have really been well
received with this sound. Another contemporary of Midnight’s is Chapel, hailing
from Western Canada. Their debut album, “Satan’s Rock ‘n’ Roll”, is a great
example of how brilliant this sound can be when it is done well.
As mentioned, the primary inspiration for this album is a
cross between Motorhead and Venom, with the vocals of Bathory. The band
generally uses a pretty rocking tempo, accompanied by a punk drumbeat
(accenting the bass drums between beats, rather than on them). There is plenty
of energy, and the playing is pretty loose. That’s not to say the band are poor
musicians or that this album is messy, but Chapel’s general sound isn’t
conducive to tight playing. Likewise, when a guitar solo erupts, it sounds both
spontaneous and erratic. It truly has that Motorhead rock ‘n’ roll feel to it. In
terms of the songwriting, “Satan’s Rock ‘n’ Roll” is a mixed bag. The first
half of the record is much stronger than the second, and the opening four
tracks are the best. Regardless, at 32 minutes, there is just enough of this
sound for you not to get bored. The major highlight is “Hell Breaks Loose”,
which features some very oldschool riffing that is pretty different from
anything else on the album, but it mixes things up in a good way.
“Satan’s Rock ‘n’ Roll” is just one of those albums that reminded me why I like metal. It’s doesn’t take itself too seriously,
is a lot of fun, and just rocks out. Even if you prefer cleaner vocal styles,
Chapel should have pretty wide appeal as they don’t really play up any of the clichés
of extreme metal aside from the vocals (and even those are pretty tame relative
to something like Gorgoroth or Burzum).
Highlights
"Rock 'n' Roll From Hell"
"Satan's Rock 'n' Roll"
"Hell Breaks Loose"
Final Rating
4.1/5 or 82%.