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DEMON CHROME
First Contact

Self-released (2022)
Rating: 9.5/10

Since their 2018 demo Chrome Demo(n), Providence, Rhode Island rockers Demon Chrome have been on my radar and now, four years later, they’ve singed by ears with a fantastic heavy rock opus that takes me back to that mid-80s metal magic.

Simplistic, stark yet sizzling riffs coupled with that laid back vocal vibe of Dylan Kulpa is enough ingredients to propel this opus into the stratosphere, and if you call yourself a metalhead you’ll snap up this beauty in real quick time.

This is one of those deliciously melodic records you cannot live without. With hints of Whitesnake, those rich vocals give you so much as the opening title track emerges from the steam with suaveness and swagger. It channels the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, but there’s something else too – a mysticism, a magic and an unassuming power.

‘Burn’ oozes with class and charm, ‘Mistakes’ kicks harder and bristles with a Thin Lizzy soul and intensity, and ‘Circle Of Nine’ cooly sways into the depths of the enigmatic ‘Pierrepoint’. It’s bombastic yet somehow elusive rock ‘n’ roll dripping with charisma as the mid-paced fires of ‘Friendly Corruption’ strut and churn, playing out like Motörhead at its most sexual and sleazed. Meanwhile, ‘Red Nails’ trickles subtly into the closer ‘Nightfall / While I’m Away’, leaving me scratching my head in disbelief at the magic these guys have crafted here.

Although very much a hard rock record, this one takes its time to seduce – happy to linger in those quieter corners before bristling with a simple energy that soars from the speakers like electric smoke. I’ve been excited by a few debut releases this year, but this one just engages with a British grit while also displaying some stealthy and smoky atmosphere that keeps you coming back for more.

Demon Chrome is a dangerous breed that lures you in, just like the loins of Bon Scott, David Coverdale and the likes whose band’s sizzled with a prowling prowess down the back alleys of the mind. First Contact is a soundtrack to the steaming, sleazy backstreets; a place I’ve probably never been to but a place I’ll never leave. This is magic.

Neil Arnold

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