Spoiled Brat - Humility

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 21 Mar 2023

Tracklist:

1. All My Friends Like Chat Pile

2. Hieronymus Mosh

3. I Discovered My Prostate, Pray For Me

4. Penn And Smeller

5. The Everlasting Scope Of Horror

6. In A Nuts Hell

I've got that Friday feeling and it couldn't come soon enough! I'm ringing the weekend in with the hardcore/screamo/whatever stylings of US band Spoiled Brat. Humility is the band's newest release and apparently an "exclusive AI generate tour 23" release. I don't know whether that means the artwork was AI generated or the music was, but I can say that the day hardcore/metal/heavy music becomes entirely AI generated is the day I stop listening. Also, that opening song title makes them sound salty about missing out the brand new Chat Pile/Nerver split release (I missed out on grabbing a copy too, before you say anything!). Tape copies were dubbed by Akashita Corp and are only available in person from the band.

There are literally a ton of fast hardcore/screamo bands breaching the surface right now and catching up with them all is hard. Spoiled Brat dropped into my inbox a little while ago and with the promise of an up-coming EP, I waited. Humility was released on Tuesday just gone and it comes at exactly the right time. EP opener ‘All My Friends Like Chat Pile’ (and who doesn’t!) is a typically fast song filled with piercingly good screams, furiously delivered percussion and guitar work that almost crosses into panic/mathcore territory. I guess that’s not too surprising.

‘Hieronymus Mosh’ is an excellent title and the music backs it up with an intense and noisy approach from Spoiled Brat. Songs this short are meant to make an instant impact. That impact is genuine here. So much so, that you wish it were longer. Spoiled Brat show their art-punk/off-kilter side on ‘I Discovered My Prostate, Pray For Me’. It’s a brilliant mid-paced (for them) song that builds in dramatic fashion but never truly explodes. Instead there’s a controlled delivery of catchy heaviness that’s hard to beat.

It’s fairly obvious by now that Spoiled Brat like their amusing song titles, as demonstrated by ’Penn And Smeller’, which is their grindiest song so far. I honestly fucking love this. I can feel a big art/grind/emoviolence binge happening after this. ‘The Everlasting Scope Of Horror’ is equally as mad, albeit with added hardcore crunch. My only complaint is that, like the previous songs here, it doesn’t last long enough.

EP closer ‘In A Nuts Hell’ rounds out what is a stupidly fun release with a good dollop of garage-punk/no-wave madness. Humility is over before you know it but that’s fine, because you’ll keep coming back to it as a result. Spoiled Brat are a completely new name to me but one (on a long list) that I’ll be keeping an eye out for from now on. Here’s hoping that this EP gets a wider physical release soon too. I’m sure there are a few people who’d love to make that happen.

You can stream and purchase Humility as a name-your-price download below:-

Spoiled Brat - https://www.facebook.com/spoiledbrat

Chiller - Chiller

Labels: Dirt Cult Records/Rock Star Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 02 Feb 2018

Tracklist:

1. Heretic

2. Monophonic

3. Offred

4. Strangers

5. The Void

6. Satisfied

7. Agony

8. Unanswered

Here's a cool new Canadian punk record. It was released in February via US label Dirt Cult Records and German label Rock Star Records. Chiller is a quartet from Moncton, New Brunswick and this (I think) is the band's first record. Chiller is a continuation of fellow Dirt Cult band Feral Trash. There's not a lot else I can say about this band apart from, if you like garage punk and good punk in general, this is for you.

Chiller’s take on garage punk seems to be dark like The Cure and menacing like early Alkaline Trio. Heretic is a great opener with lots of instrumental melody, clean vocals and attitude. The riffs that help make up Monophonic are catchy and add to a sound that’s retro and simple in approach but big on presence. Chiller makes use of dual male/female vocals and Offred reminds you that punk music is more rich and varied than more mainstream genres (though there’s still a long way to go in that sense). Chiller’s musical ability on Strangers is pushed to the fore as they add the occasional post-hardcore nuance to the song, while allowing it to be heavier and more raucous. Talking of raucous, The Void has all the energy of a riot grrrl punk song and the urgency to go with it. 

That urgency seems to be more obvious during the second half of the record and Satisfied carries on Chiller’s momentum with a great uptempo structure. Despite that party/pop-vibe there’s still an element of aching darkness hidden in the music’s depths. There are glimpses of 80s punk and pop throughout and none more so is this present than during penultimate son Agony. As with previous songs it doesn’t hang about too long. Chiller manages to achieve all that they want to in it’s short running time, which goes for the whole album as well. A subtle hint of old Westerns can be heard in the guitar work on album closer Unanswered, which is more simplified and restrained in it’s delivery to start with. Chiller opens up and lets the volume levels increase with a sing/shout-along chorus and full instrumental back-up that at times sound orchestral. This LP isn’t overblown or obtuse, it’s just filled with short and sharp punk songs that will easily catch the ear. Great stuff.

You can stream and buy a download of "Chiller" from Dirt Cult Records below:-

Chiller - https://www.facebook.com/chillerband/

Physical LP copies can be purchased via the link below:-

US & Canada - https://store.greennoiserecords.com/collections/dirt-cult-records

Euro copies have sold out via Rock Star Records. Chiller also has limited copies but they have all gone too.

Dirt Cult Records - https://www.facebook.com/dirtcultrecords/

Rock Star Records - https://www.facebook.com/rockstar.empire