„CHAIN COLLECTOR is not a newcomer band“, I thought to myself after the first album’s listening, because the song structures are mature and elaborated and the tracks feature a lot of diversity – and I should be right with my assumption. The Masquerade is the first release, except the demo record Forthcoming Addiction from 2004.
One positive aspect is the versatile use of vocals, partly sung clear, partly screamed and screeched. The clear voice is performed by Kjetil Nordhus, the one or other could know him because of his work for Green Carnation. He is supported by Svenn Aksel Henriksen and the two actors complement one another amazingly.
The instrumentalists are also masters of their trade - the guitarists come up with high class melodies, unless they conjure riffs compatible for head-bangers. The sound on The Masquerade is eminently good, for instance Endre Kirkesola’s bass lines can be sounded out clearly and this pleases me exceedingly. The rhythm section also includes drummer Anders Kobro, whose varied playing contributes some additional finesse to the songs. I also can hear some modern influences mixed in the melodic metal tracks, but only few electronic sequences appear and they don’t annoy me at all, because hard rocking, guitar dominated music is in the foreground. After the first run, the accurately elaborated vocal lines stay in my mind, so the songs get necessary brand recognition. The change of speed is an additional positive aspect of CHAIN COLLECTOR’s music. Fast forward songs like Neverwhere or Hierarchy Of Murder (Code Of Silence) on the one hand, as well as more tempered parts stand vis-à-vis in perfect balance. The build-up of The Masquerade is also interesting: the first four songs are all played between mid-tempo and faster tunes, before the tempo is throttled with the fantastic semi-ballad Crucifixion and acoustic guitar melodies cover the whole body with goose-flesh. During the nearly seven minutes lasting acoustic work of art, the band increases speed continuously, a female voice (placed exactly at the right time) appears, ere it goes on with slightly electronic elements - guitars and samples alternate. Then a break offers relaxation (female voice, acoustic guitars), prior the voice gets aggressive once again and the stamping rhythm animates to bang one’s head. The ending part lets die away this acoustic contrast bath quietly. Following song Project Savior sounds all the more heavy because of the contrast to the predecessor – CHAIN COLLECTOR have realized that permanent celerity could get boring and so I give high credit for varying pace cleverly. The Masquerade offers some very interesting songs - I really like the singulaphilia concerning vocals and alternation. This record is really well done and it is not described sufficiently with the term Melodic Death. The artists don’t have to hide behind The Masquerade at all!