Chat Pile’s “I Am Dog Now”

Heavy Song of the Week is a feature on Heavy Consequence breaking down the top metal and hard rock tracks you need to hear every Friday. This week, the top track goes to Chat Pile’s “I Am Dog Now.”

Oklahoma City’s Chat Pile blew up after the release of their first proper full-length God’s Country in 2022. It was a testament to years on the road and a homegrown DIY ethos — coupled with crushing post-hardcore that was too pertinent to be ignored. There’s not much escapism in their music, which reflects the consumerist hellscape of modern America and its religious, political, and cultural fallacies.

Much has been made of their startlingly poignant lyrics, and for good reason, but Chat Pile also dole out the riffs, giving the listener a portal to physically direct the anger and disillusionment brought on by the words. “I Am Dog Now,” the lead single from the band’s newly announced LP Cool World, embodies this duality, as the bombardment of riffage sounds like the sonic manifestation of vocalist Raygun Busch’s cathartic pleas. The semi lo-fi vibe also makes the band somehow sound even heavier with its punchiness (Uniform’s Ben Greenberg absolutely nailed it with this mix).

Honorable Mentions:

Dale Crover – “I Quit”

Melvins drummer Dale Crover is low-key an accomplished songwriter in his own right, as proven by his solo full-lengths The Fickle Finger of Fate (2017) and Rat-A-Tat-Tat! (2021). “I Quit” is the next single from his forthcoming LP Glossolalia and rides an odd-tuned riff that is beguiling — “Lazy Keith Richards,” as Crover dubbed the tuning. A wild and obtuse solo from Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil slots in perfectly after the second chorus of this irreverent garage-rock tune.

Orange Goblin – “Ascend the Negative”

There’s just something about stoner metal in the summertime — that sense of dry desert heat, sun beaming overhead. Orange Goblin have been one of the genre’s most prolific practitioners over the past couple decades and their latest single “Ascend the Negative” is prime for those summer smoke outs with your buds, a few beers, some meat on the grill. The UK vets don’t veer from their tried-and-true formula, nor should they. We’re here for those sun-baked riffs and thick bass grooves.

Unto Others – “Angel of the Night”

Unto Others (formely Idle Hands) have announced their third album, Never, Neverland, arriving September 20th via Century Media. The band also shared what will be the third single, “Angel of the Night,” a mellower tune from the goth rock/metal group. With the more metallic elements toned down here, Unto Others give off strong hints of ’80s goth heroes such as Depeche Mode and Echo and the Bunnymen. They continue to establish themselves as modern forerunners of the style.