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69 CHAMBERS
Machine

Massacre (2018)
Rating: 7.5/10

Swiss alternative rockers 69 Chambers feature the talents of Coroner guitarist Tommy Vetterli (aka Tommy T. Baron) and his wife Nina Vetterli-Treml (vocals / bass), along with Coroner / Paganini drummer Diego Rapacchietti.

Machine is the third release from the band and it’s a record that provides an interesting mixture of styles, the end result being a rather pleasant and engaging fusing of heavy melodic rock, thrashy influences, progressive flecks and even poppy nuances.

The trio hasn’t been the most prolific since forming in 2001, but hopefully this new platter more than makes up for their absence as opener ‘Deceleration’ simmers nicely before a heavyweight groove with Eastern influence on the keyboards comes rolling in.

As with a lot of contemporary rock there’s that subtle downtime where Nina Vetterli-Treml’s vocals offer up a rather mainstream croon; her crystal warble sort of floats with a fragility above what is essentially a dynamic, albeit rather glossy chunk of Americanized rock were it not for that charging riffage and weighty drum.

Bizarrely, as the record shifts on I get a strange image of Alanis Morissette singing for a melodious metal band! This comes to the fore especially on tracks such as ‘Little Bird Of Death’ with its sweet, reflective opening, but like many other tracks on offer this one too builds nicely – its edge supplied by Tommy Vetterli’s at times crushing but contagious guitar sound. Although it must be said that those quiet-then loud-then quiet moments do become a tad predictable. Thankfully though, there’s enough head-melting thrashing on offer here to deter the sceptics, such as myself, who might simply have passed this off as a Euro pop / rock effort.

‘F.Y.L.’, in spite of its lighter warbles, is for the most part a heavy charger. The riffage is quite abrasive and grey on this one; 69 Chambers rarely providing glimmers of light as they marry together an almost late-90s heavy rock sound with grunge influences. Although there’s not a hint of the soiled to be found on what is very much a clean, and at times cold opus as Nina’s style at times drifts ghost-like over those accessible yet substantial riffs.

The title track is a real hefty grunge trudger, with that percussive backbone always reliable as the vocals take on a darker tone. There are hints here of an industrialised Nirvana or Alice In Chains, but with murkier tendencies until Nina’s vocal rises in heavenly fashion.

Another favourite is the doom-laden plod of ‘Who Am I’, where the combo somehow merge nu-metal aesthetics with a more cumbersome, gluey stodge, while ‘Happiness’ is a galloping straight up metal rattler featuring stabbing drums and jarring riff.

Elsewhere, ‘Loaded Gun’ plies us with dark, yet poppier sensibilities, while ‘Chemical Poetry’ wouldn’t seem out of place on a Coroner record music-wise as Tommy Vetterli and Diego Rapacchietti bring their instruments together for a clash of thrash. At times, the melody hints at a more metallic Skunk Anansie, or maybe not? But you’ll catch my drift once you dive in and appreciate the glossier grunge aspects fused with metallic sheen. Another example of this ever-flowing river of silver is ‘Quantum Wave’ and then the moodier ‘Serpent Of Hypocrisy’.

In spite of the obvious styles they’ve incorporated, 69 Chambers’ music is a hard one to pin down, being both fluid yet slightly harsh due to those overwhelming slices of grunge-cum-melodic thrash coatings.

If you’ve never heard 69 Chambers before then don’t expect an exercise in Coroner-styled alien thrash, but simply step in and appreciate Machine for what it is; an accessible, brooding yet often delicate and stirring heavy rock platter, well-oiled and fully charged.

Neil Arnold

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