Band:	Chain Reaction
Album:	Cutthroat Melodies
Style:	Groove thrash metal
Release date:	May 2010

01. Twinge
02. Prime Integers
03. God Lives Too Long
04. Elder Thrived
05. Insomnia Revised / H. B. Woodrose
06. Class ?A" Prisoner
07. Projecting. AM
08. No Logo
09. When Road 'n Booze Collide
10. Intra Vires
11. Even If

Imagine what it must be like to have a fetish. Thongs... you just love'em! Keep one in your pocket. Stroke it. Caress it's delicate material. No matter what happens, you've got your thong. Your boss being an asshole? No matter - got your thong. Monkeys throwing excrement at you at the zoo? No matter - got your thong. Huge, burly bear's armpit in your face on the bus? No matter - got your thong. The soft silk, the exquisite fine detail of lace, the hint of their previous user's musky scent..

MMMmmm... thongs!

Chain Reaction are riff fetishists. Cutthroat Melodies is evidence of more than just a mere fascination and focus on riffing, the music here goes beyond just what chords are played, in what sequence and how fast. Instead, the band lovingly revels in the very essence of the riff, the purity of its sonic impact and the rich texture of distortion. Best experienced with a solid, loud high fidelity sound system, Cutthroat Melodies offers the chance for a nearly meditative examination of the riff, much like for example, Prong's Cleansing. It also finally identifies Chain Reaction's focus and speciality - something that was missing on the Warsaw groove thrash band's previous album.

The riffs are consistently crushing and a joy to behold. They are also capable of glossing over the few moments that are not that stellar. Nevertheless, this is a captivating, energetic and spirited set of songs. I particularly like "Intra vires", a relentless crusher of a song with a surprisingly catchy melodic edge that works because it is simple and capitalizes on the band's strengths. Other highlights are the Ministry-esque "Prime Integers", as well as thrashy epics "Elder Thrived" and "Class A Prisoner".

Cutthroat Melodies is proof of the aural power of the metal riff. Chain Reaction have definitely grown as a band, weeded out their weeknesses and embraced their strengths. We are all riff fetishists after all and this album reminds us of the purity that caused our perversion. I sincerely hope the next album will be even more fetishistic.