Album Review: Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!

French metalcore band Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! are one of the more recent bands to break into the heavy scene. After signing a deal with Fearless Records, a spot on the fourth Punk Goes Pop compilation, and touring worldwide (including the 2013 Soundwave Festival here in Australia) on the back of their debut album 'Something For Nothing', the group have released their second full-length record, 'Pardon My French'.

The album kicks off with 'Restart', a song that reflects their sound very well. The problem however, is that their sound isn't all that original. There isn't really much at all to set Chunk! apart from any other band on the scene, and almost everything about their sound is just recycled bits and pieces of artists that have come before them. The band stick to their sound, and fail to push any major boundaries throughout the album.

As the album goes on, for the most part, it just becomes repetitive, predictable, and boring to listen to. Every song is built on the same foundation, uses the same formula, and sounds strikingly similar to every other song on the record, and they blend together accordingly. If you don't pay attention, it can frankly feel like you're listening to one long, boring 39 minute song that just keeps on taking the same 'twists' that it took three minutes earlier.

What's more is that none of the band members really take any time to showcase any particularly high level of skill. There is very little versatility in the vocals, the guitarists never really take charge in any way to show some high level of talent, and the bass and drums just sit in the background, providing nothing special aside from adding to the texture of the music.

That said, for all its cons, the album does have a few pros. Some of the songs have very strong, catchy choruses (Restart, Between Your Lines), that even among the rest of the mess will stick with you. And 'So Close Yet So Far' is a song that is, on its own, quite well done, and probably the strongest point of the album. All in all though, listening to the rest of the album to just be rewarded with one decent track feels like a long, boring chore.

'Pardon My French' may not be an absolutely terrible album, but it certainly isn't by any standard all that good either. Fans of the band will probably enjoy this album, but it won't be winning them over any large amount of new fans, and it won't be helping to leave any mark or make any major impact upon the metalcore scene.