Montreal’s Club Soda was the venue of choice for a thrilling night with Chat Pile, Agriculture, and Traindodge, an eclectic trio of bands that brought a thunderous spectrum of noise, black metal, and good old sludge rock. Chat Pile, the Oklahoma City quartet that has made waves with their gritty, raw, and unapologetic sound, headlined the night, but not before their openers set the stage with their own boundary-pushing performances.
The night kicked off with Traindodge, a post-hardcore outfit that’s been around long enough to know how to hit the right balance between nostalgia and innovation. They’re like that sturdy old pickup truck – reliable, loud, and never out of style. The band effortlessly mixed some hefty riffs with more melodic undertones, creating a sound that was intense but not overwhelming. It’s the kind of music you feel in your sternum.
Then came Agriculture, the LA-based black metal band’s set was filled with supersonic tremolo picking and a level of guitar virtuosity that was almost surreal. It’s rare to see a black metal band pull off a sound that’s both ferocious and oddly uplifting. For all the talk of black metal being dour or sinister, Agriculture brought a weirdly joyful spin to the genre, turning intensity into something bordering on celebratory.
As Chat Pile took the stage, you could sense the audience’s anticipation shifting from a gentle simmer to a full-blown boil. The band’s reputation as the torchbearers of sludge and noise rock is well-earned, and they wasted no time diving into a set that was as punishing as it was cathartic. Kicking things off with “I Am Dog Now” and “Tape” from their latest album Cool World, the band created a wall of sound that seemed to shake the very foundation of Club Soda.
Frontman Raygun Busch, dressed casually in shorts and a baseball cap, brought an unexpected dose of charm to the stage. Despite the heaviness of their music, Busch’s humour and knack for banter made the show feel almost intimate, even amidst the chaos.
One of the night’s highlights was their performance of “Why,” the late-stage capitalism anthem that fans were practically foaming at the mouth for. As Busch growled the words “We have the resources! We have the means!” you could feel the crowd’s energy spike.
One of the unique things about Chat Pile is their decision to forego a setlist, which lends their shows an unpredictability that’s refreshing in a world of overly rehearsed concert routines. There’s no fancy production or over-the-top theatrics – just raw, visceral music that cuts straight to the bone. This lack of structure allows the band to adapt to the vibe of the crowd, creating a spontaneous and organic flow to their set. Busch’s vocals, more akin to a monologue delivered by an actor than traditional singing, added to the experience. His voice cracked and strained at just the right moments, making the performance feel genuine and unpolished – exactly what you’d hope for in a Chat Pile show.
Setlist
- I Am Dog Now
- Tape
- Masc
- Tropical Beaches, Inc.
- Shame
- Frownland
- Cut
- Why
- Milk of Human Kindness
- No Way Out
- Slaughterhouse
- Funny Man
- Dallas Beltway
Encore: - The New World
- Rainbow Meat
Review & photos – Steve Gerrard
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