Chemical City Rebels - A New Plague

I don’t if it’s me, but when I read a band name like Chemical City Rebels and an album called “A New Plague” I wonder an extreme Metal band. But for some disappointment it’s just the other way around, Chemical City Rebels have a New Metal grip with some touches of 1970s rock. “A New Plague” is an album that will enrage the most radical Metal fans due to its indulgence to “softer” and “lighter” sides of music. If it were the 1980s, Manowar would hail to the skies, blast their swords, and say aloud that they are false Metal and order anyone to kill them. Or worse.

Well, maybe I overreacted on the Metal thing labeling Chemical City Rebels as a Metal band. Actually it’s not. Not with a very open, and benevolent, labeling. It depends on the track you listen first, and on the moment of the track you listen first. Take “Western Decline” for instance and its soft acoustic intro which turns into an angry vociferation by the middle of it. It’ gets pretty rough and if you listen ony to it you may get confused. That’s the way some bands are. Only that.

What surprises the most in “A New Plague” is the variety of moods in its nine tracks. It’s possible to have introspective tracks as “Introspection” – hehehehe I wrote it than I noticed the name of the song, redundant, yeah -, with its 1970s taste and changes of heart. Then comes the title track with an acoustic intro and some Rush and Heart features. Or tracks as “Patternicity” with greater taste of some weird version of NWOBHM in the guitars. “A New Plague” is an album that surprises and that’s what makes it interesting if you are in the mood of varying a little. You won’t get less Metal, I guarantee you.

Chemical City Rebels “A New Plague” was self-released on April 19th.

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