As the world continues to decay in real time, bands like Chat Pile on their third full-length Who Loves The Sun know about it all too well. Just as the specter of a now vacant Devon Tower overlooks a burned-out home on the album’s cover, this Oklahoma City quartet know exactly what generational apathy is capable of.
“Creature” is the opening track; a powerful one that puts on display all matter of messages about how things couldn’t be prevented yet very much could have. Juxtapose this with jangly and dissonant riffs and a more fully realized vocal performance from the divisive Ray B., making this an all-encompassing opener.
Stin’s bass sounds as though it will wobble apart on “Deep Blue” as Cap’n Ron’s drums crash and Luther Manhole’s riffs provide balance to all the other chaos that is taking place around him. “PEN I S MALL” is an incendiary track, one that details the horrible tropes of what it’s like to “be a man” showcasing the great lengths that one will go to, trying to keep up the charade of that kind of empty existence. This all goes on while the drums give the impression that you are on the exact kind of construction site that this is describing, in almost the same way that the Stooges described the auto industry; a painful and poignant microcosm.
“Intruder” has great interplay between the guitar and bass as the former’s tone comes in very warmly as the bass is thoroughly attacked such as Ray B. does with his microphone, the guitars have a very alternative rock leaning here and not one that has to be pigeonholed as noise rock. On “Influence,” Chat Pile come out swinging in the most straightforward track to this point. The main riff on this song is one of their simplest and catchiest to this point in the band’s history, without sacrificing their overall intensity.
With “Family Funeral,” you witness the decay of the traditional family unit; whether that be from divorce or the lack of a sense of belonging when your home is empty, going from mental anguish to physical pain. The whole nature of the track musically is insanely ominous as you traverse the thoughts of a truly damaged person until that person is no more. Chat Pile brandish this brutality with aplomb. As the album comes to a close on “October All The Time,” spoken words and acoustic guitars are the name of the game, something that appears to be a harbinger for hope.
The amount of depth on this record is truly astounding with this fearsome foursome wearing their emotions on their collective sleeves, putting out something that transcends heavy music and combines it with songwriting chops and proper storytelling. By continuing to evolve their band’s sound and overall ethos, Who Loves The Sun has Chat Pile deliver their greatest triumph to date.
(released September 4, 2026 on The Flenser)
