'These Songs Are Meant to Be Listened to Loud': Chroma Discuss Their Firecracker Second Album
Tuesday, 14 April 2026
Written by James Palaczky
Photo: Bethan Miller
The world is a weird, broken place. From spiralling wars to divisive political campaigns fuelled by cruel ideologies or that rando down the end of your road who insists catcalling is a compliment, it’s clear that doom-scrolling won’t save us now. But spending some time in the company of Welsh riff-rock connoisseurs Chroma might.
Certainly, sitting around the table with vocalist KT Hall, guitarist-bassist Liam Bevan and drummer Zac Mather offers a much-needed respite from the here and now and, luckily, the three piece are also revving the engines in anticipation of another stellar album in the form of ‘25 Forever’.
Considering their last outing ‘Ask for Angela’ earned them a Welsh Music Prize nomination as well as a coveted spot supporting the mighty Foo Fighters in a stadium, there’s a lot of anticipation on its shoulders. But Chroma aren’t fazed — this is their chance to throw their two cents into the mix. “Especially right now,” Hall says. “Music has the power to change hearts and minds and bring people together. I think that’s really important.”
‘25 Forever’ is a furious, nuanced look at the ills of modern existence, layered with personal insights to offer some much-needed perspective. They discuss feminist rage, the rise of the far right and Welsh identity, layering their words over a ferocious rock album inspired by Queens of the Stone Age, Marmozets, The Distillers and Elliott Smith. “We’ve built a sixth sense of what we all want from a vibe,” Bevan notes.
The record’s pinnacle comes in the form of sucker-punch rocker Straight Men. Continuing to investigate many of the themes that lit up their debut, Hall is as direct and purposeful as ever while belting out its addictive refrain: “I’m scared of them / They’re scared of me / I’m really fucking scared of straight men.”
As KT explains, the quote came from “a night out in Cardiff with the gays.” The hook was spoken outside a club and found its way to spearheading the bombastic track, its realism striking a chord and forcing you to look the issue in the eye.
Here, Hall dissects the manosphere, radicalisation, sexual harassment and the intimidating behaviour of men in public spaces while also delivering a perfect anthem to dance, mosh or headbang to. But before the inevitable cries of ‘Not all men!’ echo throughout the web, Hall nips them in the bud: “Our message behind the song is that we want to champion good straight men. That’s the only speech I’ll make in the show.”
Every line hits harder thanks to the pounding drums and intoxicating riffs provided by Mather and Bevan. The band want to reflect the internal and external of what’s happening in Wales but have no intention of wagging a finger or slapping your wrist. They want to put a question out there, and they want you to answer it honestly.
See album opener What! a prime example of this approach. Once your ears have stopped ringing you can dig deeper and discover its roots in the book Year of the Rat by Harry Shukman, a journalist who went undercover in far right groups. Or you could jump to Coalminer’s Daughter, a harsh yet necessary look at deindustrialisation in South Wales inspired by a picture from an exhibition by photographers Clémentine Schneidermann and Charlotte James.
Throughout ‘25 Forever’, Chroma’s desire to grow as a band and show they’re not your bog standard riff-rock act is obvious. Songs such as Matching Tattoos, It’s Stupid, and the title track inject honesty and vulnerability into the mix, humanising panic and worry thanks to a realisation that the band came upon during the writing process. “We don’t necessarily need to go all guns blazing from start to finish,” Mather says. “We could maybe show a side of the band where we could write a little bit softer, a little bit more heartfelt and again a little bit more honest.”
It is the sort of second album a lot of bands could only dream of, but it’s only the start. While Chroma love recording and writing, they share an intense desire to unleash these tracks live. “These songs are meant to be listened to loud,” Mather says. “They’re not meant to be listened to quietly in your headphones while you’re having a nice little relaxing stroll in the park on a Sunday.”
Fortunately, we don’t have long to wait. Chroma will follow the LP’s release with a run of shows across the UK, kicking off on home turf at Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff on April 16. Prepare for a noisy, welcome reminder that, while the world turns as fast as it burns, our own stories persevere through the chaos.
Chroma’s ‘25 Forever’ is out on April 17 through Alcopop! Records.
Chroma Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu April 16 2026 - CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
Fri April 17 2026 - LEEDS Hyde Park Book Club
Sat April 18 2026 - MANCHESTER Rat & Pigeon
Wed April 22 2026 - LONDON Old Blue Last
Thu April 23 2026 - SOUTHAMPTON Heartbreakers
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