Chinchilla
Madtropolis
7.6
With a name like Chinchilla, you can't really expect much. This is, perhaps, why I like them so much. I was expecting some crappy generic metal band, but what I received was a somewhat generic power metal band, so I was pleasantly surprised. I am no stranger to the world of power metal; I am in fact a huge fan of the forbidden fruit that is power. Chinchilla's last album, "The Last Millennium", came at a time in which there was sort of a power metal drought, therefore it was received with open arms by the one and only Wrathchild. Their latest album, "Madtropolis", comes at a similar time, therefore it is similarly received. Chinchilla lies between the ultra-symphonic and the heavy. The guitars have a sort of harshness to them, but they're no where near as heavy as a Nevermore or a Grave Digger. I would compare them to Edguy, in many ways actually, especially their namesake. Both bands have terrible names, but both bands put out some great metal. I'd prefer a band to spend time on the music than a clever name, so all's well that ends well. Singer Tommy Laasch sounds a lot like Tobias Sammet as well. On Madtropolis, the tunes are somewhat generic. It is sort of reminiscent of the 80's cock rock, but definitely not as horrible as that. There is a lot of cheese; Chinchilla seems to make songs about corruption and wrongs done to mankind, which does wear thin after a while. The song "Satellite" reminds me of a mixture between David Bowie's "Changes", the Cheers theme song, and the Flaming Moe's theme song from The Simpsons (which was a parody of the Cheers theme). And good lord it's cheesy, a love song of sorts. Despite all this cheese, there are so many great sing-along choruses, you'll wish you never sold your old 79 Pontiac t-top Firebird with the phoenix on the hood, that old denim jacket, and your aviator sunglasses. Sure Chinchilla is quasi-cock-rock, but I love it. There's nothing ultra amazing here, and "Madtropolis" may just be the reason that die-hard death-metallers hate this kind of metal, but they can all eat my self-righteous, denim-covered ass. Chinchilla does not disappoint the die-hard power metal fan (i.e. me), but anyone not interested in the genre will want to travel back in time to beat up John DeLorean himself just for the hell of it. Wrathchild's Choice Cuts: When The Sand Darkens The Sun - Love that chorus Satellite - LISTEN TO IT and know why I made the comparisons I did. You'll laugh Battle Of The World - Yeah, this is the classic power metal B.S. that I love
