Today, you expect metal music to be nonexistent due to the immense popularity of pop, hip-hop and numerous other genres. However, American band Chat Pile disproves this by releasing their newest album, “Who Loves the Sun,” on Friday, Sept. 4.
Growing up, I loved listening to rock and metal music from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. When I listened to this album, I felt like I was listening to Nirvana, Metallica and every other metal and rock artist from those eras. While the album’s nostalgic feeling intrigued me, what struck me the most was that even though the album’s title mentions the sun, the album is ominous and dismal. Nearly all its songs are encompassed with horror, making the album title satirical.
Kicking off with “Creature,” the album whips you with dramatic drum melodies that set the stage for the bold vibes the album contains. After hearing drums for a chunk of the beginning, an electric guitar comes in while Chat Pile’s lead singer, Raygun Busch, fills the listener’s ears with vocals depicting a post-apocalyptic society where animals are slaughtered and cities are either flooded or buried in ash.
“Deep Blue” contains similar emotions to “Creature.” While drums and guitar fill the background music, Busch changes the album’s mood from boldness to gloom by singing about depression and the unwillingness to fight it. A couple of memorable lyrics from the song are “Even though you know / The clock is ticking down / With no more life to live / The time to act is now” and “But that could never be / You move deeper into screens / Into the deep blue sea.”
Succeeding “Deep Blue” is “Same Rules,” which is a little different. Compared to “Creature” and “Deep Blue,” the drums and guitar are mellower. Instead of sounding like a rock tune from the 1990s, “Same Rules” showcases harmonies that can be found in 1960s funk songs.
“PEN I S MALL” is one of those songs that depicts the atrocious society that laborers work in. While the drums act as the driving force, Busch sings about harsh working conditions and the merciless environment that laborers toil in. You can tell that the song’s main emotion is anger since Busch’s vocals sound like fiery shouts. There are times when Busch is yelling.
In “Shrine,” the environment is not as tense. Busch’s vocals are a little more relaxed and while the drums and electric guitar linger in the background, Busch returns to a post-apocalyptic theme. Throughout the song, he references grieving and bringing the dead back to life.
“Intruder” is one of my favorite songs from the album. Not only do the lyrics portray horror, but Busch’s voice sounds deep at times, further enhancing the song’s mood.
“Christabel ’26” is one of the album’s darkest songs. Beginning with a suspenseful electric guitar, the song’s volume repeatedly intensifies. Furthermore, Busch’s vocals are saturated with terror as he paints an image of murder and house raids — a very common occurrence in the United States due to the ongoing public presence of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
One of my least favorite songs from the album is “Influence.” While the song was enjoyable, I felt bored by the final chorus because there’s not much variety in tempo or background music. The lyrics were also hard to understand because they were sung so swiftly. However, one thing I liked about the tune was that the intro’s drum and guitar rhythms reminded me of Nirvana’s “In Bloom.”
“Family Funeral” is another sinister song from the album. Compared to the other songs, the intro is much slower. It’s not until the one-minute mark that you begin hearing Busch’s voice.
The tune’s principal topics are hatred and homicide. While the murder scenes in “Christabel ‘26” were a part of house raids, the murder scenes in “Family Funeral” revolved around relationship complications and revenge. Using desperate vocals, Busch sings about slashing his lover and children with a knife because of his lover leaving him and getting a new spouse.
The final song, “October All the Time,” is very distinct from the other songs. Instead of expressing terror, the song ends the album on an optimistic note. The guitar and vocals are smooth for about two thirds of the song, which discusses hope and says that everything is going to be all right. In the final third of the song, the vibe changes to rock, and the song’s title is consistently repeated.
I enjoyed listening to this album. As someone who loves rock and metal music from the late 20th century, this album really hit home. I also love the sarcasm within the title. It infers that happiness is difficult to find in a world ruled by atrocious governments and inequality. One thing I wish the album had was more diverse sounds. While all the songs are decent, most of them had similar background music, making the album’s quality a little bland.