Chat Pile's "grimace_smoking_weed.jpeg" is this generation's "Frankie Teardrop"
Oklahoma City sludge metal newcomers Chat Pile have ignited a firestorm in the heavy music scene with their debut album God's Country. The nine-track release, which is out on The Flenser, dives into horrifying topics such as homelessness, murder, and drug addiction. Its closing track "grimace_smoking_weed.jpg," is arguably a righteous way to bookend a furious debut album. The song, however, finds itself standing side by side with one of synth-punk's most terrifying tracks ever.
Synth-punk duo Suicide became a fixture of the underground NYC scene with a string of notorious live performances, which resulted in them being banned from CBGB's. Their 1977 self-titled debut album has been heralded as one of the greatest albums of all time. Within in 32-minute frame, one song in particular stood from the rest in both length and overall quality: "Frankie Teardrop."
Musically, "Frankie Teardrop" and "grimace_smoking_weed.jpg" both hold their own when it comes to delivering mesmerizing soundwaves. The nine-minute "grimace_smoking_weed.jpg" trudges along with riffs before shifting into six minutes of chaotic doom-filled chugs that almost seems to never end. For some listeners, they don't want these manic guitar sections to cease.
"Frankie Teardrop" is the complete opposite for many. The song offers a frightening atmosphere with a simple drum machine and a keyboard. For 10 minutes, the listener is taken to an unnerving world where darkness looms at every second. To test out the song's haunting aura, comedian/radio host Tom Scharpling had listeners of their radio show The Best Show attempt to listen to the track once. Some listeners could barely get through it. Bruce Springsteen called the song a major influence on their album Nebraska, preferably with their song "State Trooper."
Lyrically, both songs deal with the unfortunate act of suicide. "grimace_smoking_weed.jpg," which was influenced by the films In a Glass Cage and Mysterious Skin, finds a person hallucinating about Grimace (yes, THAT Grimace) smoking weed in their room. As the song goes on, the individual seemingly loses control of their emotions with thoughts of suicide clouding their head. It isn't until the end that they give into their thoughts with Raygun Busch's horrifying vocals delivering the brutal commentary.
"Frankie Teardrop" deals with a father struggling with making ends meet for their family. Much like "grimace_smoking_weed.jpg," the titular character finds themselves losing their mind due to stress from work. One day after work, they do the unthinkable and kill their wife and one-year-old baby before pulling the trigger on themselves. Vocalist Alan Vega delivers some of the most frightening screams ever recorded.
Overall, it wouldn't be surprising if Chat Pile’s "grimace_smoking_weed.jpg" inspired other heavier bands to deliver lengthier chilling stories of their own.