May 24 | Written By Ash Egan

"Brothers in Christ" is a split EP from the two midwestern noise rock merchants, Nerver and Chat Pile. Released in April 2023, the record combines the unique and brutal approach of two of the most remarkable bands to emerge from the underground scene in the past few years.

Each offers a distinctive but complementary approach that combines the darker elements of 90’s grunge with more contemporary trends for sludge and doom metal.

Nerver, the more obscure of the two bands, takes the first two tracks on the release. Opener KICKS IN THE SKY gets straight to the point, staggering along on the strength of a grimy, down-tuned bassline and raw, distorted screams.

Cranking the rage level significantly on track 2, THE NERVE pummels and stomps its way to an eerie and terrifying mental breakdown. If you're unfamiliar with Nerver, it’s a bracing introduction and demonstrates why their friends from Oklahoma rate them so highly.

Chat Pile showcases more introspection and vulnerability than usual with their two offerings. The reverb-heavy opening to KING recalls their more alternative or post-punk influences such as Slint. Raygun Busch’s slurred vocal delivery is more melodic despite remaining steeped in deep layers of anxiety and depression. It’s not until the chorus that the band reverts to the deafening wall of guitars which made their breakout album ‘God’s Country’ so thrilling.

Mournful and claustrophobic, the final track CUT bathes in anguish. Tending more towards the fuzzy, grunge rock of the 90s underground, it still manages to skirt closer to being their most radio-friendly release to date.

Busch’s cathartic vocal delivery is ideally suited to the bleak and heavy instrumentation, pitched squarely between millennial pessimism and blind panic. The spacious production creates a vastness for the despair to fill and the chorus hammers home the fear and isolation at the heart of the lyrics. The EP closes with an outro of blasted, raw intensity and terrified screeches. Conveying spiraling insanity as effectively as anything in their discography to date.

"Brothers in Christ" is captivating. It's a fantastic showcase for the individuality and artistry of both Nerver and Chat Pile and a testament to the health of the scene they were borne from. But it also serves as a tantalising glimpse of what's to come from these bands in the future. In particular, Chat Pile prove that the raw brutality and horror of their debut album now has a unique counterpoint through the introduction of their more eclectic influences.

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Check out Chat Pile here.

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