MELT REVIEWS

Album Review: Chat Pile – Who Loves The Sun

Rating: 9/10

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.

Written By: Steven Sandoval

Who Loves The Sun: https://chatpile.bandcamp.com/album/who-loves-the-sun

HMLTD Announce New Album “FANGS,” Share New Single “I Used To Ride In Limousines”

UK band “HMLTD” are back with an announcement of their third full-length album FANGS. This follows their sophomore album The Worm, which was a heavily theatrical Rock Opera, but this time around on FANGS, the band are celebrating all things Goth. “FANGS is our call for GOTHIC INSURRECTION! It is a return to experimentation, provocation, confrontation. We will never go away. THE FUTURE IS GOTH!” Says the band. About their single “I Used To Ride In Limousines,” lead singer Henry Spychalski says, “It’s the first song we wrote on the album and an ode to failure and success, birthed cathartically at the absolute lowest point in my life two years ago.” The band also says, “We have been working on this album for two years and could not be prouder of it. In the time since The Worm, lots has happened and we have lost our self and re-found it again in this record. It is a return to the founding principles with which we started HMLTD, and is the most HMLTD thing we’ve ever made.” FANGS will be released on October 23rd via “Lucky Number.” You can pre-order the album, as well as watch the music video for “I Used To Ride In Limousines” below:

FANGS Pre-order: https://hmltd.bandcamp.com/album/fangs

Jordan Bussell Shares New Single “If You Let Me”

UK-based singer/songwriter Jordan Bussell has released her first single in three years titled “If You Let Me.” This follows her sophomore album What You Wouldn’t Do For Me. In true Jordan Bussell fashion, “If You Let Me” is a soulful acoustic ballad that offers a sense of optimism while it tackles heavy themes. About the track, Jordan says, “I wrote this sitting with a close friend just after both of our worlds had all but fallen apart. I’d just learned the relationship I was planning my life around had been full of deception, betrayal and manipulation. My friend had also lost his relationship, his home and the future he had envisioned. We sat shell shocked and lost. Trying to support with his pain helped distract from my own.” “If You Let Me” will appear on her upcoming third album Aftershocks, which will be released at the end of September/start of October. You can listen to “If You Let Me” below:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Release New Live Album “Hidden in Pieces: Live at the Royal Albert Hall”

Legendary Indie Rock trio “Yeah Yeahs Yeahs” have released a new live album titled Hidden in Pieces: Live at the Royal Albert Hall. The album also has a companion concert film which is available exclusively on “The Criterion Channel” until September 24th. About the album, the band says, “Hidden in Pieces Live at the Royal Albert Hall was born out of a need to commune with our band and fan family in 2025, after the election. In the past, YYYs haven’t often chosen when to be back at it and out there, it often chooses us. It, being the times. We turn to live music when we need that specific quality of depth and light to see us through the times.” Hidden in Pieces: Live at the Royal Albert Hall is available to stream now, with deluxe bonus tracks to be released on October 23rd, along with the vinyl and CD release of the album. You can listen to the album below:

https://yeahyeahyeahs.bandcamp.com/album/hidden-in-pieces-live-at-the-royal-albert-hall

Protomartyr Share New Single “Feed the Sewer”

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:

Hotel Usona Pre-order: https://protomartyr.bandcamp.com/album/hotel-usona

Boy Harsher Share New Single “Tough Luck (When You Don’t Call)”

Photo: Jaxon Whittington

As we get closer to the release of the long-awaited new “Boy Harsher” album GET MEAN, the beloved Darkwave duo have shared another taster of the new album titled “Tough Luck (When You Don’t Call).” About the track, vocalist Jae Matthews says “I wrote the “Wanna say / I’m okay” practically in tears on a plywood floor in the middle of West Texas last January. My bittersweet mantra.” You can watch the music video for “Tough Luck (When You Don’t Call),” as well as pre-order Get Mean below:

Get Mean Pre-order: https://boyharsher.bandcamp.com/album/get-mean

Pozi Announce New Album “Bark Bark,” Share New Single “Hale-Bopp”

Photo: Jack Taylor Gotch

London, UK-based trio “Pozi” aren’t your average band. Their reinvention of Post-Punk entails classical-influenced violin, a propulsive rhythm section, and harmonious vocals filled with witty and often times political lyrics. Which makes them one of the most interesting bands out there. Today the band have shared a new single titled “Hale-Bopp” which will appear on their upcoming album Bark Bark, which is set to drop November 13th. About the track the band claims that it “reflects on examples of unity since Covid, moving towards a better world with more love and compassion, before seeming to spiral off-course with the terrifying rise of the far right. The final refrain gives a sense of hope; that catastrophe is delayed – but for how long?” You can listen to “Hale-Bopp” below:

https://poziband.bandcamp.com/track/hale-bopp

PUREST FORM Share New Single “MORE”

Photo: John Hein

LA-based trio “PUREST FORM” are set to drop their new E.P. RESISTANCE on September 4th via “Dais Records,” and following their visceral Industrial Metal banger “ANIMAL,” the band have released another new track off the upcoming E.P. titled “MORE,” and it’s a musically unhinged mix of Hard Techno, Metal, Industrial, and Synth-Punk. The band describes the single as “a song about love and revolution. A love so addicting, LIKE A DRUG. A love that makes you do extraordinary things.” You can listen to ”MORE,” as well as pre-order RESISTANCE below:

RESISTANCE Pre-order: https://purestform.bandcamp.com/album/resistance

Earth Tongue Share New Single “Dimly Lit Cadaver”

Photo: Oscar Keys

New Zealand duo “Earth Tongue” have been on a roll this year. Their new album Dungeon Vision is a fuzzed-out Heavy Psyche record that evokes the spirit of a band like “Black Sabbath,” but also offers a more melodic take on genres such as Doom Metal and Stoner Rock, and following the album’s acclaim, the band have released another new track titled “Dimly Lit Cadaver.” This track was made for “King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s” Field of Vision compilation, which compiles new tracks from artists on this year’s “Field of Vision” lineup. You can listen to “Dimly Lit Cadaver” below:

https://earthtongue.bandcamp.com/track/dimly-lit-cadaver

Index Share New Single “Earth”

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:

https://indexxxxx.bandcamp.com/album/vis-intertiae