The Black Gladiator / Slovenly brotherhood is in the business of pushing punk crudity like it’s going out of style (it ain’t), and with this debut LP by Michigan’s CHOKE CHAINS there’s no mistaking our intentions. Thomas Jackson Potter, he of ‘90s Crypt Records legends BANTAM ROOSTER and an original member of DIRTBOMBS, has concocted another nasty recipe for disaster with this latest unit featuring The Millionaire (ex-CHINESE MILLIONAIRES) on drums, Lindsey Crappor, (ex-NO BAILS) on 2nd guitar, and bass handled by a ballistic warlock named Chizz. Taboo tackling cuts like “Let’s Try Suicide” and “Rock Paper Rapist” guarantee deep emotional scarring, and the album’s opener “Safe Word” thrusts supercharged negativity transferral with terminal raunch. This is a cocksure debut from a battle-scarred crew, saturated with hostile imagery and the hyper-aggressive delivery you’d expect from pedigree of this caliber.