Cool World (Chat Pile album)
| Cool World | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 11, 2024 | |||
| Recorded | 2024 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 42:47 | |||
| Label | The Flenser | |||
| Chat Pile chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Cool World | ||||
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Cool World is the second studio album by American rock band Chat Pile. It was released on October 11, 2024, through the Flenser and follows their universally acclaimed debut studio album God's Country (2022).
Background and theme
[edit]Cool World borrows its title from the film of the same name (1992), setting the tone for an "unsettling atmosphere" with a horizon widened to depict a "decaying planet".[1] It serves as a continuation of their 2022 debut album God's Country, "only amped up".[2] Vocalist Raygun Busch explained that the project covers "similar themes" to their previous album but this time expanded to a "macro scale", focusing on "disasters abroad, at home" as well as their impact.[3] If Busch were to describe it in one sentence, he would quote French philosopher Voltaire in saying that Cool World is "is about the price at which we eat sugar in America".[4] Bassist Stin added that the goal was to "stretch the definition" of their sound in order to touch on their personal tastes beyond just noise rock and "challenge" the limits of their previous record.[5]
The album was mixed by Ben Greenberg of Uniform which marks the first time Chat Pile worked with a mixing assistant from outside of the band.[6]
Singles
[edit]Alongside the album announcement on July 16, 2024, the band released the lead single and opening track "I Am Dog Now", described as a "chunky, grating, post-hardcore/noise rock anthem", accompanied by a Will Mecca-directed video.[6] According to Busch, "Masc", the second single released on August 20, was one of the most important songs on the album as it talks about the "horrors of interpersonal intimacy" but is still in synch with the theme of "oppression, despair and malaise" throughout the album.[7] The third single "Funny Man" came out on September 24 and sees the band delivering a "seething, freaked-out rager" that ranges between "head-crushing riffs" and "'90s-style funk-metal".[8]
Critical reception
[edit]Year-end lists
[edit]| Publication/critic | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decibel | Top 40 Albums of 2024 | 27 | [9] |
| Exclaim! | 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 7 | [10] |
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Chat Pile.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Am Dog Now" | 3:53 |
| 2. | "Shame" | 3:45 |
| 3. | "Frownland" | 3:55 |
| 4. | "Funny Man" | 3:30 |
| 5. | "Camcorder" | 6:23 |
| 6. | "Tape" | 4:12 |
| 7. | "The New World" | 4:30 |
| 8. | "Masc" | 4:09 |
| 9. | "Milk of Human Kindness" | 4:49 |
| 10. | "No Way Out" | 3:35 |
| Total length: | 42:47 | |
Personnel
[edit]Chat Pile
- Raygun Busch – vocals, recording, photography
- Luther Manhole – guitar, glockenspiel, recording, photography
- Stin – bass, tape loops, synthesizer, recording, photography
- Cap'n Ron – drums, recording, photography
Additional contributors
- Matt Colton – mastering
- Ben Greenberg – mixing
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[11] | 153 |
References
[edit]- ^ Hardman, Neville (July 16, 2024). "Chat Pile announce second album Cool World". Alternative Press. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ Keenan, Hesher (July 16, 2024). "Chat Pile's Next Album Cool World Due Out in October". MetalSucks. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ Gonzales, Ramon (July 16, 2024). "Chat Pile Delve In the Grim Realities of Humanity on Cool World". Knotfest. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ O'Connor, Siobhain (July 16, 2024). "Chat Pile have announced a new album, Cool World, shared single "I Am Dog Now"". Dork. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ Pappis, Konstantinos (July 16, 2024). "Chat Pile Announce New Album Cool World, Share New Single "I Am Dog Now"". Our Culture Mag. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Sacher, Andrew (July 16, 2024). "Chat Pile announce new album Cool World & tour, share "I Am Dog Now"". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ Keenan, Hesher (August 20, 2024). "Chat Pile Spend a Little Shirtless Bro Time in "Masc"". MetalSucks. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (September 24, 2024). "Chat Pile – "Funny Man"". Stereogum. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ Decibel Magazine staff (November 12, 2024). "SPOILER: Here Are Decibel's Top 40 Albums of 2024". Decibel Magazine. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ Exclaim! Staff (November 27, 2024). "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2024". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Chat Pile – Cool World" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 20, 2024.