Post Description

“Stand And Fight” opens the album with an in-your-face riff that has Chastain’s name written all over it, having as solid foundations the excellent production with one foot on the 80s and the other on the current modern times. But what will blast your ear drums putting a huge smile on your face is Leather’s voice that seems to continue where it had stopped two decades ago. The harshness, the vibrato and the characteristic timbre are still here, so crank it up somewhere after the Chastain-signature guitar solo to listen to what I like to call "sonic evidence". The double bass drum action and the heavy riffs kind of sound modern and please take this in the best possible way. In other words, the band did not try to copy the 80s sound and make it appealing for the sake of sounding old-school or retro or whatever; the music is fresh and most-importantly motivated. “Deep Down In The Darkness” is a fine example of the current CHASTAIN with a groovy/headbanging rhythm section, powerful vocal melodies and an awesome dark atmosphere. In pretty much the same wavelength stands “Rise Up” that I am sure is a strong candidate for any possible plans to get on tour and it would not be too much to mention some almost Teutonic dynamics in the super tight rhythm section and the sweet high-hat action.

The in-your-face riff and the full-of-attitude singing by Leather are the strongest ingredients of the self-titled track where you will also enjoy the nice bass lines in the mid-tempo breaks. If you are still wondering what Leather’s vocal chords can do anno 2013, then the keyboard-driven part of “Bleed Through” will give you the hard facts but also let you enjoy her cocky singing attitude that is so rare to find among female singers who like to choose the soft-side of Metal.

Yeah, I tried to keep my cool while listening to the CHASTAIN comeback but I miserably failed. “Surrender To No One” is not just a good album from a veteran band; it’s a solid release with great tracks, motivated song-writing, great six string action from a guitar virtuoso who knows about the listening-economics (in other words, there are no boring and endless/pointless soloing) and on top of everything a powerful singer with one of a kind timbre. Welcome back, CHASTAIN.