Chat Pile is an American
rock band from
Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
. The band is composed of four members using the pseudonyms Raygun Busch (vocals), Luther Manhole (guitar), Stin (bass), and Cap'n Ron (drums). Their debut album
''God's Country'' was released on July 29, 2022.
The band self-identifies as belonging to the
noise rock subgenre, but external publications have labeled them as
sludge metal
Sludge metal (also known as sludge or sludge doom) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated through combining elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. It is typically harsh and abrasive, often featuring shouted vocals, heavi ...
.
History
Chat Pile formed in 2019 and took their name from piles of
chat mining, byproducts of lead-zinc mining which are commonly found throughout Northeastern Oklahoma.
Their debut EP ''This Dungeon Earth'' was released on May 29, 2019. The band performed their first live concert on July 11, 2019 at the venue 89th Street in Oklahoma City.
When trying to promote their music, the band was originally rejected by Oklahoma City's music scene. The band found successful promotion when ''This Dungeon Earth'' reached the top of
Rate Your Music's weekly charts in a fluke of timing. Their second EP ''Remove Your Skin Please'' was released on November 15, 2019, and the band released a compilation of both EPs on vinyl and cassette on February 9, 2020.
The Flenser announced the signing of Chat Pile on September 22, 2020.
The band released their debut single, "
Roots Bloody Roots", a cover of the song by the Brazilian
thrash metal band
Sepultura from their album
''Roots'', on July 14, 2021. On July 29, 2022, the band released their debut album, ''
God's Country''. The album received wide acclaim, receiving the "Best New Music" distinction on ''
Pitchfork''.
The band released the soundtrack to the film ''Tenkiller'', which Busch stars in, on November 18, 2022 as a
Bandcamp exclusive. The soundtrack was recorded in 2020.
Musical style and influences
In 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
''In a Glass Cage'' ( es, Tras el cristal) is a 1986 Spanish horror film written and directed by Agustí Villaronga, and starring Günter Meisner, Marisa Paredes, and David Sust.Schwartz, ''The Great Spanish Films Since 1950'', p. 193 Inspired b ...
'', ''
Mysterious Skin'',
''L’Humanite'', ''
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer'',
''Continental'' ''Drift'' by Russell Banks, and ''
Woman at Point Zero'' by Nawal El Saadawi.
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
Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Nake ...
as "probably our biggest influence." The Flenser describes Chat Pile as "
anneling 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
Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...
".
According to guitarist Luther Manhole, the band's sound also contains elements of
post-punk,
nu metal
Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...
and
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
.
Bassist Stin also cites
Korn
Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream.
Originally formed in 1993 ...
as an influence with "no shame"
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.
Busch's vocals are influenced by
David Yow of
The Jesus Lizard and
Scratch Acid,
Black Francis
Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Fo ...
of
Pixies and
H.R. of
Bad Brains.
Band members
* Raygun Busch (Randy Heyer)
— vocals
* Luther Manhole (Griff S)
— guitar
* Stin (Austin Tackett)
— bass
* Cap'n Ron (Aaron Tackett)
— drums
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
God's Country'' (2022)
Extended plays
* ''This Dungeon Earth'' (2019)
* ''Remove Your Skin Please'' (2019)
* ''Tenkiller Motion Picture Soundtrack'' (2022)
Singles
* "Roots Bloody Roots" (2021)
* "Slaughterhouse" (2022)
* "Why" (2022)
* "Wicked Puppet Dance" (2022)
References
External links
* {{official website, url=https://chatpile.bandcamp.com
2019 establishments in Oklahoma
American noise rock music groups
American sludge metal musical groups
Musical groups from Oklahoma City
Rock music groups from Oklahoma
Musical quartets