Review by Sonny for Paul Chain - Detaching From Satan (1984)

Detaching From Satan was Paul Chain's first release following his split from the legendary Death SS and was a four-track EP with Chain writing the songs, playing guitar and organ and performing vocals, helped out by drummer Enrico Giampaoli and bassist Paolo Giannotti. After an organ and sound effects intro, "Occultism" kicks off with a doomy Sabbathian riff, heavily informed by the NWOBHM, so having a quite rock-y feel to it. In it's mid-section Chain's guitar lead takes over and we are treated to an extended solo before things get back on track. I actually quite enjoy Chain's singing here, but I can understand why others may struggle with it as it is very reedy and he certainly isn't the most gifted vocalist in the world, yet I feel it really suits the lo-fi aesthetic and general weird vibe of the EP.

"Armageddon" is up next and after a quite substantial, choral, hymn-like intro, we are treated to another terrific, pounding riff that Witchfinder General would have been proud to have written, followed by another display of Chain's demented guitar shredding. "Voyage to Hell" follows a similar template, but here the vocals sound even more demented as Chain tries to add a harsher edge to his singing performance and often sounds genuinely unhinged. Closer "17 Day" is the EP's longest track, running for just short of eight minutes and here his vocals are probably least weird-sounding with him lowering his register a bit and even sounding almost normal. After two or three minutes, an eerie organ interlude insinuates itself into the track, acting as prelude to another extended solo as Chain allows himself to let it all hang out with a climactic ending.

So, this neat 19 minute EP is quite effective as a calling card for Paul Chain as if he is "putting himself into the shop window", so to speak, after his departure from Death SS. His catchy riffs and dextrous guitar solos are the main raison d'etre of these four tracks and I think it also does a good job of displaying Chain's quirky character. I like this quite a lot and it is an interesting release in the development of doom metal, particularly in his home country of Italy and shows the guy as an intriguing character having a quite singular style.