Album Review: Secret Chapter – Chapter One (Crime Records)

Once upon a time, there was a band that stated that “Rock’n’roll all nite, Party every day!” was the mantra in life. Here comes the soundtrack for doing exactly that! Norway’s Secret Chapter brings you ten powerful metal songs on their debut album named Chapter One, that will make you want to grab that mic stand and get in on the action.

The album will be released on October 18th, 2019 on digipack CD, LP and in digital versions on all major streaming services. The CD version also includes two bonus tracks, and one of them is the band’s take on the legendary TNT song ‘Everyone’s a Star’.

The old-school rock and metal influences are littered throughout Chapter One. Influences that draw from classic metal bands like Judas Priest, Rainbow and Accept to rock legends like Queensrÿche and Deep Purple. From the moment it kicks off with the pace and energy shown in Baptised in Ecstasy, it’s pretty clear this is all about the good times.

After a very upbeat start, Show Me the Road is a bit more anthemic and with a deeper guitar groove that makes it seem darker then it actually is.

The higher tempo is back for Human Centipede, the energy of a band not just having fun but believing in what they do is infectious. Even an completely exhausted person would find themselves compelled to move to this.

The same goes for the sing-along bounce of One Night Ain’t Enough and Heavy Metal Love Affair. The latter is such a power ballad, it could have come straight from the 80s. It’s bloody fun though!

The Great Escape has no chance of being able to follow that even though it’s a catchy little number. Sin City is impressive for just how high the vocals go and the chorus is easy to tap your foot too. Introspection then takes things to a hyper level as Secret Chapter push their heavy metal credentials front and centre.

Solid all the way through, there isn’t a bad track here. Just a mix of good to great heavy metal tunes. It does seem as though Secret Chapter peaked in the first half but the fantastic riffs and exciting catchiness of Enemy Inside proves that to be wrong.

Finally, Blaze asks that you raise your fist to the sky and give praise to all that is metal. Who would deny it?

That’s it if you’ve picked up the digital version but if you got the physical version you’ve got two more tracks to enjoy. A shorter, radio edit of Heavy Metal Love Affair and a cover of TNT’s Everyone’s A Star. It’s a damn good cover, Secret Chapter putting their own heavy metal stamp on it.

Secret Chapter – Chapter One Full Track Listing:

1. Baptised in Ecstasy
2. Show Me the Road
3. Human Centipede
4. One Night Ain’t Enough
5. Heavy Metal Love Affair
6. The Great Escape
7. Sin City
8. Introspection
9. Enemy Inside
10. Blaze
11. Heavy Metal Love Affair (Radio Edit – CD Bonus Track)
12. Everyone’s A Star (TNT Cover – CD Bonus Track)

Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Crime Records