Satan’s Rock 'n' Roll

The sun burns my skin, already carved by wind and mileage. My hands firmly grab a 1500cc monster’s handlebars. The noise is deafening and terrifies all good people who dares look at me. My leather jacket is frayed, stained with the blood of my enemies. I have no destination, I just drive straight ahead.

This magnificent vision is imposed on me while listening to Chapel first album, beautifully titled Satan’s Rock n Roll. Mötorhead fans, this record is for you. The Vancouver trio offers us thirty minutes of dirty and surly hard rock, crossed with black and thrash metal elements. Pure biker music.

After a short organ introduction, Rock ‘N Roll From Hell tumbles at full speed with a rhythmic drawn from a heavy rock manual. This goes on with titles like Satan’s Rock n Roll, Motorcult or Alcoholocaust. Lyrical themes are all fully assumed clichés. Drink, drive and fuck, and not always in that order. The whole is very well done and must be appreciated as a guilty pleasure. Even my own microscopic car seemed to get bigger when the album was playing.

However, this music originality is nonexistent. Legends like Sodom, Venom or AC / DC covered everything in that register for over thirty years and counting. Even today, new bands – such as Chrome Division – are trying to carve out a place in this decibel, sweat and vomit-filled universe. Is it relevant to add another one?

I do not believe that Chapel members care about that kind of considerations, which are more related to a jaded reporter’s work. Satan’s Rock n Roll is still fun to listen, even though nothing can replace my old records. Well, why not listen Aces of Spades? Let’s roll, baby! 6/10

Originally written for Métal Obscur.