Chat Pile Create Beautiful Abrasiveness in God’s Country

One of the top albums released by an Oklahoma artist this year may not be for everyone, but it is something special. Oklahoma City’s Chat Pile have only been releasing music for a few years, but by their first full length release, God’s Country, they have created a sound that is the definition of painful pleasure. The music is overwhelming in the best way possible. Heavy lows, altered drums, poignant vocals, and often absurdly creative delivery of the message define what brings Chat Pile to the forefront of what is happening in noise rock currently.

Self-described as “death-grunge, sludge industrial”, this album is hard to pin down. Noise-rock sets the foundation, while each song showcases it’s own influences. The screaming guitars and fuzzed out bass of Slaughterhouse lay a sludgy backdrop for the vacillating vocal style of singer Raygun Busch, moving from guttural screams to spoken words with ease. The album’s second track “Why” asks the simple yet reasonable question “why do people have to live outside” in a plain conversational voice before burying the anger and emotion in the delivery of the chorus. The following track, “Pamela” goes through the thoughts of someone who has lost a loved one through unspecific circumstances. It starts with a deadpan, dry vocal delivery but builds on key lines. Busch’s vocal delivery is what drives the emotional response of the listener.

The chaos only increases as the album continues. “Wicked Puppet Dance” draws from the hypnotic driving drums, similar to a Metz song put through a blender. Album midpoints “Anywhere” and “Tropical Beaches, Inc.” ease up on the heavy just a little, giving space for Busch’s rambling vocal style to show off. The bent note guitar hook on “Anywhere” is reminiscent of a Pixies or Smiths lead, showcasing the band’s grunge influences. The refrain is immediately interrupted by “The Mask”, which dives right into the heavy both musically and lyrically. The 9-minute closing track features the paranoid ramblings of a deranged protagonist talking the the classic McDonald’s children’s character Grimace.

The blasting instrumentation and lyrical absurdity are pushed by the excellent production on this album. Every moment, every sound, every instrument’s feel and tone is deliberate. Guitar tones match not just the feel of the song, but each moment within the song. Heavy, fuzz-riddled basslines drive the subdued rhythmic sections of songs, and push the explosiveness of high-energy moments. The drums pull everything together and are almost hypnotic at their most rhythmic times.

While Chat Pile’s sound may not be for everyone, God’s Country is an album that could place them at the forefront of heavy music right now. Check out God’s Country on their Bandcamp.

Chat Pile play their album release show 7/29 at The Sanctuary in Oklahoma City. They will play The Whittier Bar in Tulsa on September 11 with Big Knife/Big Hand, Nerver, and Natty Gray. God’s Country is out today via The Flenser.

Heads up, this album utilizes profanity and some heavy subject matter regularly throughout, so you might not want to blast it at work.