Chat Pile, the Oklahoma noise rock band signed to Matador Records, has announced a new album titled "Who Loves the Sun." The band released the single "Deep Blue," accompanied by a music video that transports viewers to a grotesque barbershop setting. The track channels Chat Pile's signature abrasive aesthetic, layering distorted guitars with vocalist Raygun Busch's confrontational delivery over imagery steeped in dark humor and surrealism.
The announcement marks Chat Pile's follow-up to their self-titled debut, which established them as one of the more uncompromising voices in contemporary noise rock. Their music sits at the intersection of punk's raw aggression and experimental rock's sonic complexity, favoring discomfort over conventional melody. "Who Loves the Sun" suggests a continuation of that approach, though the title carries an almost defiant irony when paired with the band's typically oppressive sound design.
Chat Pile has cultivated a dedicated following in the underground and indie rock circles since signing with Matador, a label with deep roots in alternative music history. Their visceral live shows and willingness to venture into genuinely unsettling territory have earned them comparisons to bands like merzbow and early industrial acts, though they maintain stronger songwriting structures. The "Deep Blue" video's macabre barbershop aesthetic fits neatly into Chat Pile's visual language of grotesque Americana and institutional dread.
With "Who Loves the Sun," the band appears poised to expand on the artistic trajectory established by their debut. The project arrives in a landscape where noise rock and experimental guitar music have found renewed audience interest, with acts like Merzbow, Milo Goes to College-era Descendents echoes, and other harsh-noise purveyors gaining streaming attention. Chat Pile's commitment to discomfort as an artistic principle positions them distinctly within that ecosystem, challenging listeners rather than accommodating them.