Italian duo “OvO” have been making music as far back as 2000, delivering some of the most uncompromising and extreme music you’ll ever hear in the world of Noise Rock. Consisting of sole members Stefania Pedretti and Bruno Dorella, the band makes a lot of noise with a very minimal setup. Their new E.P. Densità is no exception. Arriving exactly one year after their eleventh studio album Gemma, Densità is an undeniable mix of electronics, sludge, and noise, it’s a signature and familiar sound from the band, but at the same time sounds like the beginning of a new chapter. The E.P. was released via “Artoffact Records” and you can hear, as well as purchase the E.P. below:
Los Angeles-based duo “Index” are set to drop their debut full-length album Vis Inertiae this Friday, and today the band have released another new track off the album titled “Dissolve.” Much like their previous singles, “Dissolve” is a crafty mix of Noise Rock, Punk, Industrial, and Electronic Rock, and it’s looking like this is going to be a fantastic debut. You can listen to “Dissolve,” as well as pre-order Vis Inertiae below:
Albums like these are the reason why it’s important to not view music as mere entertainment. Though it is nice to use it as a form of escapism, sometimes we need something to reflect the harsh realities of life. Music to make you stop and ask “What the fuck are we doing?!” Genocide, climate change, AI, and a mundane existence living under the boot of capitalism are all topics many artists with a platform fail to acknowledge for fear of pissing off the wrong people and losing their livelihood. In a way, I can’t blame them. The threat of losing it all for simply speaking out against the norm must be terrifying, but that is the very thing that further perpetuates a system that only benefits the rich and privileged, while the less fortunate live in fear and uncertainty. At some point you gotta wake up. Though most of us aren’t going to lead a revolution, it is nice when a band like “Chat Pile” externalizes every frustration we feel.
What is Chat Pile? Are they Metal? Well, they’re definitely heavy. They definitely blend various forms of challenging music such as Sludge Metal, Pigfuck, Noise Rock, Gothic Rock, Industrial, and Nu Metal, but simply calling their music Metal, or any of the genres I just mentioned doesn’t sum up their sound. At the end of the day, they’re fucking Chat Pile. Plain and simple. Their music sounds like four dudes from Oklahoma got together and made some noise, and this noise is so damn good! It’s unhinged, it’s anxious, it’s filled with existential dread, but it grooves like early “Korn” and it’s heavily cathartic. Their new album Who Loves The Sun is their thesis statement.
Serving as both a reference to “The Velvet Underground,” and commentary on climate change, Who Loves The Sun captures the anxiety and frustration that is brought on by late-stage capitalism, social disconnect, the state of surveillance, and environmental damage, but instead of wagging his finger or indulging in corny sloganeering, lead singer Raygun Busch expresses pure frustration with a very manic, anxious, and at times terrifying delivery that can make anyone feel uneasy, and that’s the point. It’s not just a cliché to say “everything is fucked,” because everything really is fucked, and if there’s going to be music that reflects our frightening reality, it’s going to be very ugly. However, believe it or not, this music isn’t all pessimistic, because underneath the very bleak and somber nature of this album, there’s optimism to be found, and that optimism lies in catharsis, because after that release of frustration and anger, it’s nice to know you’re not the only one that feels this way, which inspires a hopeful attitude and may even prompt someone to take a positive action. After tracks that tackle themes such as workplace degradation, (PEN I S MALL), digital alienation, (Deep Blue), and character-driven Horror stories, (Intruder), (Family Funeral), the album ends on the notion that everything will be fine on the track “October All the Time.” However, does Raygun truly believe this, or is he just trying to convince himself? There’s no clear answer, just like there’s no clear answer to the question “are we going to be okay?” I guess we just have to try to keep smiling through this shit show.
Detroit band “Protomartyr” are set to release their seventh album Hotel Usona on September 25th via longtime label “Domino,” and today the band have shared another new track off the album titled “Feed the Sewer,” and it’s a relentless takedown of AI. About the single, lead singer Joe Casey comments “The title comes from a line of dialogue in a Peter Greenaway movie. The sentiment of the song is that artificial intelligence is against humanity. The belief is that people are often willing to destroy the world in exchange for convenience. The lyrics are the usual mish-mash of political fears, personal grievances, literary references, and poop jokes. The music is very loud, like a data center.” The single also has an accompanying music video that features comedian Nate Varrone, who also appeared in the music video for the band’s previous single “Sounds We Cannot Hear.” About the video, director Andrew Theodore Balasia says, “Loneliness in the age of surveillance is the theme we explored for this video. The motel becomes a physical microcosm of data collection, each room a profile, each guest willingly paying to stay in a room that is being monitored by strangers. The banality of what’s being observed becomes its own source of unease, stripping away spectacle until all that remains is the dull, unsettling desire to connect with anything.” You can watch the music video for “Feed the Sewer,” as well as pre-order Hotel Usona below:
Though many of us are still not over the quiet breakup of Punk trio “Control Top,” ex-members Alan Creedon and Alex Lichtenauer have moved on with their new project “Index,” and this project is quite the departure from their previous work with “Control Top.” Incorporating Electronic and Industrial elements, the band’s music packs a more visceral punch, without sacrificing their beautifully noisy style of Hardcore Punk. The band announced in July that their debut album Vis Inertiae will be released on September 25th via “Get Better Records,” and following their last two singles “Cellophane” and “Fractured,” the band have released another ripper of a track titled “Earth.” You can listen to the track, as well as pre-order Vis Inertiae below:
September 4th can’t come soon enough. It’s the day the Oklahoma-based quartet “Chat Pile” drops their third studio album Who Loves The Sun, and judging from the singles we’ve heard off the album thus far, this will be the band’s most compelling work yet. The tracks “PEN I S MALL” and “Deep Blue” are both rippers, but their third and final single “Same Rules” is both a ripper, and a gothic-induced atmospheric track that finds the band sounding their most melodic. Their new album Who Loves The Sun drops September 4th via “The Flenser.”
Oklahoma-based Sludge band “Chat Pile” are set to drop their third album Who Loves The Sun on September 3rd, and following their absolute ripper of a track “Deep Blue,” the band have released another track off the upcoming album that might be their heaviest yet. The track is titled “PEN I S MALL.” Yes, you read that correctly. Despite the title sounding like something you’d write on your buddy’s face with a sharpie while he’s passed out drunk, the name is actually taken from a broken sign in the maintenance tunnels of “Penn Square Mall” in Oklahoma City, where the remaining letters spell out “PEN I S MALL.” About the track, lead singer Raygun Busch says “If survival wasn’t so brutal in the United States, a maintenance job at a local mall could in theory be a fun gig…Of course, the awful beast known as Capitalism is extremely rickety with not enough to truly go around in fair share as those in the lower and even middle positions know all to well.” This track is a necessary reaction to capitalism and the exploitation of workers, and will resonate with most of us who are fed up with this system where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Watch the music video for “PEN I S MALL” below:
Oklahoma City-based quartet “Chat Pile” have unveiled details of their upcoming third album Who Loves The Sun. The album will be released September 4th via “The Flenser,” and today the band have shared the track “Deep Blue” off the upcoming album. You can listen to the track, as well as pre-order the album below:
Austin, Texas-based band “Portrayal of Guilt” released an absolute monster of an album earlier this year titled We Are Always Alone, which featured their usual infectious blend of genres primarily affiliated with the Metal or Hardcore scene, Genres that don’t usually intertwine, but the band dispelled all elitism with the record, informing us that there are parallels between these genres that shouldn’t go unnoticed, and that we can all co-exist while we watch the world burn. Oklahoma-based band “Chat Pile” released two unsettling but enticing EPs back in 2019 that flourished on the uneasy state of the human condition. Incredibly manic, dark, and devoid of joy, which if you’re like me, brings you intense feelings of satisfaction, and….. joy. Funny how that works. “Chat Pile” are hard at work on their debut full-length album, which won’t be released till next year, but today the band along with “Portrayal of Guilt” have gifted us new music. A split 7″ released via “Portrayal of Guilt’s” own record label “Portrayal of Guilt Records.” The aforementioned parallels between genres such as Hardcore, Punk, Black Metal, Screamo, and with “Chat Pile” in the mix, Doom, Sludge, and Noise Rock are on full display on this release. You can listen to, as well as purchase the split 7″ below:
The wait is finally over. Alexis Marshall of the band “Daughters” has unveiled the release date of his highly anticipated solo debut album. The album is titled House of Lull . House of When, and will be released on July 23rd via “Sargent House.” A new single titled “Hounds in the Abyss” was also released today, which follows last year’s “Nature in Three Movements,” a relentlessly intense, but enticing tune. “Hounds in the Abyss” carries that same anxiety-inducing energy, and I’m here for it. You can watch the music video for “Hounds in the Abyss” below:
