Who said that Black Metallers couldn't Rock N' Roll? Even while holding such long time extreme Metal projects as DIMMU BORGIR and SUSPERIA, there was that possible urge to go back to the roots that started it all. In the vein of MOTORHEAD and old Bluesy American Rock, even sometimes in Southern form that bears the likes of ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY, CHROME DIVISON rose to their flamboyant power. The newly "3^rd Round Knockout" through Nuclear Blast Records, the band's constant label since day one, is as the title says the band's third release with the same rough attitude as always.

Some will probably say that CHROME DIVISON is another MOTORHEAD kind of band with the same kind of music that the British giants were spreading for more than thirty years. To tell you the truth, they were somewhat right because it is hard to deny the so frequent similarities. Yes, CHROME DIVISION's music isn't that original and "3^rd Round Knockout" tells that same story that was told over and over on the band's earlier discography. However, everything is not that ordinary as people might think. Every band has got its own aces.

Unlike MOTORHEAD who kept on rockin' with Speed Metal, NWOBHM and Punk, CHROME DIVISION added to their strict Metal vision the cold and dark spirit of Norwegian Metal mixed with Bluesy American Southern Rock as an additional flavour. So behind the booze, women, drugs, sex and the biker image, there is a bit more. Behind the crunchy sound and the leather boots, there is more substance. There is a great talent behind this group and their experience gave a lot to the quality of the album.

On the album I mostly liked "Join The Ride", another cracker with a sex edge devoured by a good attitude that held some great Hard Rock grooves. The catchy like biker song of "Zombies And Monsters", not so hard to know what that one is all about. "7-G Strings", if you would ask me this baby was not about the a seven string guitar. Finally, there was "Fight", which was yet another great catchy tune in a wayward, rough dark seventies spirit. Of course I can't let out the nice tribute to the old JOHNNY CASH classic "Ghost Rider In The Sky". Even though those tracks were the album's shining light, it was not as if total darkness loomed all around the division.

What I liked about CHROME DIVISION is their sense of dedication towards the genre, its tradition, and their material was accordingly. Although their influence is quite evident and the rest is already known, I enjoyed their tampering with the traditional style of Metal and Rock. The insertion of darker sounds, production wise, to their songs made the American and British versions shiver with fear. The members, especially the Black Metal stars as Shagrath and Shady Blue, might look like all American bikers ready to roll but inside they are the hell riders dressed in disguise.

"3^rd Round Knockout"is a good release and they show that Black Metal is not the best and definite thing that came out from the Norway Metal scene. If you desire some crude Rock image, you have to get the energetic, sleazy and hard CHROME DIVISION. I believe that if they will continue on going with different alterations to tradition, they will amaze even the British gods, just wait and see.