Chat Pile is an American rock band from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band is composed of four members using the pseudonyms Raygun Busch (vocals), Luther Manhole (guitar), Stin (bass), and Cap'n Ron (drums).
Chat Pile | |
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 Chat Pile performing at 2023 Roadburn Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active |
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| Labels | The Flenser |
| Members |
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Signed to The Flenser, their debut album God's Country was released in 2022, followed by Cool World in 2024. The band self-identifies as belonging to the noise rock subgenre, but external publications have labeled them as sludge metal.[3]
History
editChat Pile formed in 2019 and took their name from piles of chat, byproducts of lead-zinc mining which are commonly found throughout Northeastern Oklahoma.[4] The band was founded in Oklahoma City, but its members grew up in other parts of the state; Raygun Busch from Ponca City, Luther Manhole from Moore and the brothers Stin and Cap'n Ron from Asher.[5] The members initially adopted stage names to avoid being identified by their employers at the time. Stin acts as the band's manager.[6]
Their debut EP This Dungeon Earth was released in May 2019. The band performed their first live concert in July 2019 at the venue 89th Street in Oklahoma City.[7] When trying to promote their music, the band was originally rejected by Oklahoma City's music scene, which a band member claimed revolved around only hardcore punk and shoegaze.[8] The band found successful promotion when This Dungeon Earth reached the top of Rate Your Music's weekly charts in a fluke of timing.[9] Their second EP Remove Your Skin Please was released in November 2019, and the band released a compilation of both EPs on vinyl and cassette the following February.
San Francisco-based label The Flenser signed Chat Pile in September 2020[10] and released the band's debut single, "Roots Bloody Roots", a cover of the song by the Brazilian thrash metal band Sepultura, in July 2021. A year later, the band released their debut album, God's Country. The album received wide acclaim, receiving the "Best New Music" distinction on Pitchfork.[1]
The band released the soundtrack to the film Tenkiller, which Busch stars in, in November 2022 as a Bandcamp exclusive. Brothers in Christ, a split EP with Kansas City band Nerver, was released in April 2023.[11] Chat Pile's European tour debut came in April 2023 Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands, first performing a secret set before playing the main stage the day after.[12][13]
Their second full-length album, Cool World, was released through The Flenser on October 11, 2024.[14][15] The band was also named as headliners for the 2025 Roadburn Festival.[16]
Musical style and influences
editIn interviews, the band has described the themes of their music as "trying to capture the anxiety and fear of seeing the world fall apart," and "very consciously try to express and represent the feeling of living in the southern plains." They also take inspiration from other pieces of media including In a Glass Cage, Mysterious Skin, L’Humanite, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Continental Drift by Russell Banks, and Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi.[17]
The band describes their music as noise rock while acknowledging that audiences have also labeled them as sludge metal. Vocalist and songwriter Raygun Busch named Big Black as "probably our biggest influence."[18] The Flenser describes Chat Pile as "[c]hanneling everything from the oppressive sludgy beat downs of Godflesh, the vulgar absurdity of The Jesus Lizard and the rebellious, post-modern experimentation of Sonic Youth".[10]
According to guitarist Luther Manhole, the band's sound also contains elements of post-punk, nu metal and grunge.[3] Bassist Stin also cites Korn as an influence with "no shame"[3] but is the only member of the band who is a Korn fan. "Most nu-metal is completely unlistenable, especially anything made after 1999," he said.[19]
Busch's vocals are influenced by David Yow of The Jesus Lizard and Scratch Acid, Black Francis of Pixies and H.R. of Bad Brains.[7]
Band members
edit- Raygun Busch — vocals
- Luther Manhole — guitar
- Stin — bass
- Cap'n Ron — drums
Discography
editStudio albums
edit- God's Country (2022)
- Cool World (2024)
Extended plays
edit- This Dungeon Earth (2019)
- Remove Your Skin Please (2019)
- Portrayal of Guilt/Chat Pile Split (with Portrayal of Guilt) (2021)
- Tenkiller Motion Picture Soundtrack (2022)
- Brothers in Christ (with Nerver) (2023)
Singles
edit- "Roots Bloody Roots" (2021)
- "Slaughterhouse" (2022)
- "Why" (2022)
- "Wicked Puppet Dance" (2022)
- "Tenkiller/Lake Time (Mr. Rodan)" (2022)
- "I Am Dog Now" (2024)
- "Masc" (2024)
- "Funny Man" (2024)
- "Scentless Apprentice" (2024)
References
edit- ^ a b Sherburne, Philip (July 29, 2022). "Chat Pile: God's Country Album Review". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ Gray, Jezy J. (July 26, 2022). "Noise Rockers Chat Pile Mine The Depths of Human Misery (Without Being Miserable)". PopMatters.
- ^ a b c "KEN Mode and Chat Pile (Try to) Explain Noise Rock to an Alien". Talkhouse. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ King, Pat (July 27, 2022). "Chat Pile: The Best of What's Next". Paste. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ "Chat Pile: "It's just a big anti-war statement, the whole album"". Crack Magazine. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
- ^ Kelly, Kim (October 11, 2024). "'Being alive is kind of painful': the bleak vision of noise rockers Chat Pile". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
- ^ a b Martin, Jeremy. "Picher Pile". Oklahoma Gazette. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- ^ "Chat Pile And Nerver On New Split EP 'Brothers In Christ,' The I-35 Heavy Music Scene & Metallica YouTube Rabbit Holes". www.grammy.com. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
- ^ "Chat Pile: The Success No One Was Expecting". Bandcamp Daily. September 9, 2022. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
- ^ a b Flenser, The. "Welcome Chat Pile". The Flenser. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
- ^ "Chat Pile And Nerver On New Split EP 'Brothers In Christ,' The I-35 Heavy Music Scene & Metallica YouTube Rabbit Holes". www.grammy.com. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
- ^ "Watch Chat Pile Cover Rage Against The Machine's "Bulls On Parade"". Stereogum. April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
- ^ "Roadburn 2023 zet vol in op de toekomst". 3voor12 (in Dutch). April 25, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
- ^ Kennelty, Greg (April 26, 2024). "CHAT PILE Completes New Album, Due Out This Year". Metal Injection. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Monroe, Jazz (July 16, 2024). "Chat Pile Announce Album and Tour, Share New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ "KYLESA, CHAT PILE, and ALTIN GÜN announced as first preview for Roadburn Festival 2025 line up". lambgoat.com. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
- ^ "Interview: Chat Pile Discuss The Real Horror of New Album –". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ Sarosiek, Krzysztof (October 25, 2022). "Big fish in a small pond. An interview with Chat Pile". undertone (in Polish). Retrieved October 27, 2022.
- ^ "Chat Pile Debut Surreal "The Mask" Video, Talk Korn Fandom". Revolver. September 27, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022.