Chat Pile
Gallery by Erlisa Muharremi
Hailing from Oklahoma City, Chat Pile is a band whose music has quickly become incredibly unique and respected in many metal communities. Their music is both haunting and cathartic at the same time, with heavy riffs and recognizably blunt lyrics about the world we live in, criticizing oppressive social norms and calling out irresponsible leadership. They have been touring North America in celebration of the release of their second full-length album, Cool World, and this album delivers everything Chat Pile is known for and more.
The array of musical variety in this album is brilliant; including the mixture of harmonic and dissonant guitars, as seen on tracks like Shame and Frownland (which are so seamlessly transitioned into one other), set this horrific instrumental stage that prepare you for that quintessential Chat Pile listening experience. Pair these heavy, droning, unsettling riffs with the harrowing vocals of frontman Raygun Busch (that are often cleverly paired with desperate shrieks throughout this album), you get music that makes a lasting impression. Songs like Tape and No Way Out are prime examples of the gut-wrenching subject matter that you will find hard-pressed not to find in a Chat Pile record. Cool World also produced some of the most resonating singles I’ve ever heard from any new album, like the punchy I Am Dog Now and of course, Funny Man, which has swiftly become a new classic amongst Chat Pile fans (myself included)!
Their show on Tuesday in Toronto was energetic and all around a great, fun time. The band played a wide range of their music, spanning from past EPs up until their newest record, and there was something for every fan in the crowd that night to enjoy. Aside from songs from Cool World, the band played fan favourites like Why, Dallas Beltway and Slaughterhouse, which sent the crowd, and especially the mosh-pit, berserk, with crowd surfers coming over the barricade in waves throughout the night. Despite the dark nature of their music, frontman Busch lightened the mood between every song with a plethora of facts about Canadian cinema, and the extent of which he knew was downright fascinating. There is still time left to catch them on the current batch of tour dates in November, however they go back on tour in February 2025, so make sure not to miss this fantastic concert!
Date: November 12, 2024
