Customer Reviews

Blood on the Moon

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Listening to "Blood on the Moon" is like being trapped in the aural equivalent of D.C. comics' Bizarro World: strange, unpredictable, surreal and nerve-wracking. By the time of "Blood on the Moon," Damon Edge and Helios Creed had refined the Chrome sonic canvas to a metallic sheen, a sound reminiscent of a nuclear power plant going critical. Creed's wildly stochastic leads and Edge's strangely erotic vocals and industrial synth noise fuse with the menacing drone of the Stench Brothers' drum & bass bravado, creating eerie soundscapes for deranged punk mutants and twisted new wave vampires. The opening track, the intensely manic "The Need," delivers an accelerated pulsing rhythm track overwhich Creed's malevolent guitar and Edge's demonic vocal and radioactive synth bursts create an orgasmic climax that is absolutely sexual. "Perfumed Metal" is just as frenetic, with Creed's flanged staccato guitar salvos and Edge's alienated, paranoid vocals creating the perfect mood for demented cyborgs lost in the new dark age of computer dominance and submission. "The Strangers" features some of Edge's creepiest lyrics and one of Creed's nastiest solos ever--like the deathscream of a melting robot. "Brain on Scan" is another standout track, a full metal jacket of shrieking industrialized noise with Edge's echoed voice swirling in the mix like some strange banshee from another world. There are, admittedly, moments of stasis and monotomy that interrupt the album's otherwise savage drive; however, even these tracks work as a kind of repetitive calm before yet another psychic assault on the nervous system. And though not as anarchically brilliant as "Alien Soundtracks" or "Half Machine Lip Moves," "Blood on the Moon" does show Chrome moving toward a more consistently satisfying compromise between arty aural dadaism and punky psychindustrialism--a sound they would more fully realize on their terminal masterpiece "3rd from the Sun."

First released in 1981, as this was Chrome's fifth longplayer. Tracks that definitely make this [much welcomed] CD reissue a keeper are "Perfumed Metal", the total ass-kicking "Planet Strike", "Out Of Reach (sort of reminds me of Can), "Brain On Scan" and the title cut "Blood on The Moon". Loved the way that Cleopatra tags on four live songs from a 1981 live gig that Chrome played in Bologne, Italy. When I met up with guitarist Helios Creed a few years back, he told me that in it's original run, Chrome only played four live concerts - two in San Francisco and two shows in Italy. Obviously, this is one of those two gigs on archived CD. I've seen some import title - independent label CD of Chrome playing an entire show - but, I didn't purchase it because it was too co$tly - as now I regret it because I haven't seen it since. I've looked all over the Internet but I am unable to find it. I would know the front cover for sure. As for 'Blood On The Moon' it's highly recommended.

Blood on the moon was san francisco duo Chrome,s 5th album and their 1st with an outside rythm section brought in.this resulted in a more muscular sound all round, leaving Helios Creed and Damon Edge to concentrate on strafing everything in sight over the churning rhythms thundering along courtesy the Stench Bros.the amazing thing is that this album still sounds amazing now as it did then. there,s just nothing around now which comes close!this album should be played loud, very loud! guaranteed to leave your skull in ruins!

I initially purchased this because half of the songs from this album are live versions on the Chrome Box(Cleopatra)and I wanted to have the album in its studio entirety, but to my surprise Lilith uses the same format! Every other song is a live version which makes for a completely awful dynamic, and is not the album proper! I don't understand how they can sell this under the pretense of it being "Blood on the Moon", because this is merely a compilation! It is a crying shame too, because visually the album deserves high marks, with lyrics and photos on the record's inner sleeve, and a decent graphic reproduction of the cover and back of the album, and this is not to mention the beautiful 180g vinyl and the bonus cd of the album. Why???

I first heard this when a friend bought the 'Chrome Box'(hard to come across a package like that nowadays) in 1984. The first time I heard it I thought it sucked-'not hardcore enough for me' I said. Then, about a month later, on the way to a show, he popped this album into the cassette player and whammo- I was hooked. The tracks that stuck out the most to me the most were Planet Strike and Inner Vacuum( yeah, they were good mushrooms). But the album as a whole is great. Chrome is probably the only band that both annoys me and I completely love. I highly recommend this album as both a starter for Chrome virgins and to those wishing to relive those glorious years heard only on vinyl.

This is the 5th album proper from Chrome, originally released in 1981 and it's a nice noisy blast from an alternative history.

Like the Young Gods partying with the Fall or Skinny Puppy and Wire getting it on. Chrome aren't as catchy or extreme as any, or all, of the above but that shouldn't stop you exploring. Industrial rhythms, metallic structures (metallic, not \m/ Metallic \m/ ), fractured psychedelia and a cold harsh atmosphere permeate every track and it certainly doesn't sound like 1981! This is definitely modern and has aged incredibly well.

Will fit right in alongside Killing Joke in your collection. For newbs, think Rammestein but infinitely cooler!