Four albums and 10 years in we should be getting used to Chrome Division, the side-project formed by Dimmu Borgir front-man Shagrath. There have been a few lineup changes, but, with Shady Blue on vocals, the basic formula remains the same: stoner/classic rock, and good old-fashioned dirty rock’n‘roll.
Yet 10 years later the jury is still out, and somehow Infernal Rock Eternal is unlikely to bring about a verdict. It’s a good album – they’re all good albums – but despite all the right ingredients they’re never quite classic albums, and never quite as special as obvious influences like Turbonegro and Alice In Chains.
She’s Hot Tonight, for instance, kicks off with a watered-down riff from Black Flag’s Thirsty And Miserable, but soon becomes lost in a mire of clichéd lyrics, while Mistress In Madness kicks off with the drums from Motörhead’s Overkill (and the riff from Too Late Too Late), but simply makes you want to hear the original. Chrome Division are a little too polished to stand out from the pack.
