The new Chrome Skulls 7" "The Metal Skull" comes stomping, prodding, and ripping out of the fog underneath the Asbury Park boardwalk with driving, pit slapping freak punk madness that conjures up all eras of NJ punk and hardcore, as well as touches from international scenes while somehow being undeniably New Jersey. Our take: Debut 7” from this new band out of New Jersey with a heavy, bulldozer crust sound a la Framtid or Anti-Cimex. When a band goes for this style, I know within five seconds of dropping the needle if they’re legit, and Chrome Skulls are legit… this is raw, noisy, heavy, and brutal in all the right ways. While it’s on the nose, I particularly like the relentless “Public Animal,” where the guitarist does this great dissonant harmony worthy of HNSNSN-era Discharge themselves. Chrome Skulls also have a S.H.I.T.-esque ability to work a pit-clearing mid-paced part into the crusty melee without making it sound out of place in the slightest. If you’re a fan of labels like Brain Solvent Propaganda and Konton Crasher, this is gonna do it for you.
