Sometimes the best collaborations are the ones that make you turn your head and go ‘What? How and why did this happen?’ Well, the Oklahoma City sludge merchants, Chat Pile, have just dropped an unbelievably delicious collab with the primitive Texan guitar instrumental wizard, Hayden Pedigo (check out anything this guy does, it’s gold) and holy shit does it slap. We’ve got this whole atmospheric ‘death consciousness’ vibe on the opening instrumental “Outside,” as Pedigo rips on some slide guitar, paving the way for the crippling slow burn giant “Demon Time.” Chat Pile vocalist Raygun Busch, aka Randy Heyder, or whatever he goes by, brings his pained and hushed vocal chops, beginning with the bizarre line “Hey, Stupid Eyes.” Pedigo adds some ethereal lead as Busch promises, “They will find you, They will fuck you up,”—a foreshadowing for things to come.
We get this foreshadowing in real time with the hulking “Never Say Die!,” which sounds like classic Chat Pile; distorted, rip-your-throat-out pain and sludge for miles. Not sure where Pedigo is in this track, maybe the discordant lead guitar? Either way, I’ve been craving more Chat Pile since last year’s Cool World, and “Never Say Die!” delivers it. Next, we get the dark western instrumental “Behold a Pale Horse,” which goes into some fun looping stuff courtesy of Pedigo and the blackened fuzz guitar from Luther Manhole (god I love Chat Pile’s stage names), before transitioning into a more subtle, acoustic Pedigo fingerpicking and touching vocal vibe from Busch on “The Magic of the World.” This track is pure lightning in a bottle; sorrowful and droney, as if you’re floating in an endless void, but it’s OK.
After some back-to-basics Chat Pile sludgecore on tracks like “Fission/Fusion” and the churning seven-minute malignant abomination, “The Matador,” we get that heartbreaking acoustic vibe again on the closer, “A Tear For Lucas.” Busch truly sings this one on the verge of tears. After a quick bit of research, I learned it’s a eulogy for his friend, artist Lucas Dunn, who passed away last year. Pedigo’s country fingerpicking really moves this track, but keeps it hauntingly sombre. Damn, such a good album, no real skips if you like atmospheric, dreadful acoustic mixed with heavy sludge.
