FRENZY FIRE
METAL & ROCK REVIEWS
Breaking The Chains
|
FRENZY FIRE |
||||||
|
METAL & ROCK REVIEWS |
||||||
| HOME | ||||||
| REVIEWS | ||||||
| ARTISTS | ||||||
| UPCOMING | ||||||
| LINKS | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
Breaking The Chains |
||||||
| Chrysalïd are a heavy metal band from the UK formed in 2019, releasing the bands debut album 'Back On The Streets' in 2022, and sophomore album 'Breaking The Chains' two years later in 2024. | ||||||
| Founded by vocalist Emannuel Thorsen, the band line-up is completed by drummer Mark Harrison, guitarist Ben Hurst, bass player Wolf De Iuliis, and guitarist Connor Lynn, the bands new album featuring thirteen songs across fifty two minutes with a whole host of guest musicians on show - so many in fact, I've had to list them all below! Chrysalïd are more than just a "run-of-the-mill metal by numbers" band, they're a forward thinking, innovative band with immense confidence to explore every corner of heavy metal territory and beyond, constantly improving every aspect of the band (and themselves), whether that be song-writing, recording, or performing live! And it shows too, 'Breaking The Chains' breaking new ground with every song on offer, the one and a half minute instrumental 'Overture' building a tension fuelled crescendo of anticipation for the album opener 'Eternal Flame' to come hurtling into view at a hundred miles an hour! | ||||||
| The pace here is incredible, 'Eternal Flame' oozing a Judas Priest power driven heavy metal style, largely down to the instantly recognisable searing vocals of ex 'Priest singer Tim "Ripper" Owens - but also the song-writing prowess of band founder Thorsen. An absolute belter of an opening salvo to get the adrenaline pumping and heads rocking, Chrysalïd march on with the thundering traditional metaller 'Far Beyond The Sun' - and a massive "foot on the monitor" feel to boot! An unabashed heavy metal double straight from the heart of metal territory, 'Breaking The Chains' begins its musical exploration with 'Into The Night' wandering off the old school "eighties" metal path in the direction of both the doom laden heaviness of Black Sabbath and the majestic swagger of Dio. I'd imagine the bands locker is deep, for the albums first three songs have all featured different styles, attracting a very wide audience to the bands soundscape. | ||||||
| And returning pace to the fore, 'The King' roars off to assume the mantle of highly infectious melodic heavy metal, Chrysalïd maintaining their varied approach to 'Breaking The Chains', not just in terms of styles but guest musicians too - every song on offer featuring a different combination! Mesmerising, mind blowing or mind boggling you can decide, but rest assured this album is gonna take many more listens to fully comprehend and appreciate just what the band have achieved here - the title song 'Breaking The Chains' entering the fray with a heavier, bolder sound than any other song heard so far reminding me a little of NWOBHM pioneers Angel Witch. In fact, every song heard so far has had a mighty British feel about them, which don't get me wrong isn't a bad thing, as Britain is widely recognised as the birthplace of heavy metal - feel free to argue and you're gonna damn well lose! And maintaining the British feel, this time by way of anthemic metal stalwarts Saxon, 'Blackstar' is a pulsating barrage of thumping heavy metal, shuddering the ground with immense force to wobble walls and shake buildings! | ||||||
| The intensity of 'Breaking The Chains' (the album) since it began has kept a tight hold of listeners attentions with no intention of letting them go anytime soon, 'War Of Illusions' dislaying a phenomenal turn of speed to rocket off at high velocity! The speed here is sensational, the level of head bang ability shooting through the fucking roof as Chrysalïd storm on by to destroy everything and everyone with a devastating display of ferocity! Yet among all the ferocity there's a magnificent melodious streak in there too, 'War Of Illusions' proudly straddling the speed, thrash and traditional metal genres. The power and pace of the album has been relentless, 'Breaking The Chains' (the album) striding on with another mellow moment, this time by way of 'Another Day' and an inkling there's a ballad on its way! And for almost two minutes I was right, the band having other ideas, bringing a jack hammer style crunch to the party and battering everyone round the head with it! Knocking a few listeners off their feet, Chrysalïd are hitting very hard here, 'My Way Home' matching the high velocity of 'War Of Illusions' - maybe more! Either way, 'My Way Home' is head bang-able to the max and will have every listener, fan and follower dripping with delight! | ||||||
| And as 'Breaking The Chains' (the album) heads into its final quarter, there's absolutely no let up in the all conquering intensity that's kept everyone glued to the album, 'Under The Thumb' stretching the bands musical horizons even further by incorporating a little Grunge, alternative and melancholic metal into Chrysalïd's bulging locker - a locker which surely isn't gonna close anymore considering the amount of different styles housed within! 'The End Of Chapter II' is an eerie spoken word come instrumental come slow wander of haunting proportions signalling the end of the album - the end of the bands original material that is, for rounding off the album there's a cracking cover of the King Diamond classic 'Sleepless Nights' taken from the bands album 'Conspiracy' (released in 1989). The pace of the original is kept to perfectly, although Chrysalïd's version is punchier, the band paying homage to one of metals greatest performers, King Diamond. | ||||||
| Overall, a vastly varied album of metal styles, Chrysalïd step into a multitude of musical genres to attract a very wide audience. | ||||||
| Review by Iron Mathew Collins | ||||||
| Reviewed for Metal Gods TV | ||||||
| Guest musicians: | ||||||
| Vocalists... | ||||||
| Zak Stevens (Savatage, Circle II Circle) | ||||||
| Tim "Ripper" Owens (KK's Priest, The Three Tremors, ex Judas Priest) | ||||||
| Fabio Lione (Anthena XIX, Angra, Ex Rhapsody Of Fire, Ex Vision Divine) | ||||||
| Henning Basse (Metalium, Legions Of Night, Withering Scorn) | ||||||
| Craig Cairns (Tailgunner, ex Induction) | ||||||
| Lisa Skinner (Sorceress Of Sin) | ||||||
| Andre Tulipano (Steel Warrior) | ||||||
| Drummers... | ||||||
| Fabio Alessandrini | ||||||
| Kayo John (Harllequin, ex Dark Avenger) | ||||||
| Paul Skinner (Sorceress Of Sin, Untamed) | ||||||
| Guitarists... | ||||||
| Fabricio Rocha | ||||||
| Eugene Simone (Eldritch) | ||||||
| Cristiano Lopes (Wicked Side) | ||||||
| Nick Kariotis | ||||||
| German Maldonado | ||||||
| Emirhan Yeler | ||||||
| Bassists... | ||||||
| Simon Robertshaw (Plague Of Angels) | ||||||
| Guilherme Peixoto (Hell Bound) | ||||||
| Keyboardists... | ||||||
| Jase Tyler (Witnere, A Fool's Mockery) | ||||||
| Ariel Perchuk (Ariel Perchuk, Kenziner, Liliumdust) | ||||||
| Top | ||||||