Big Chungus
Big Chungus
Wet Cassettes Records (2020)
You have to appreciate a concept that’s primarily focused on making you uncomfortable; where’s the fun without a healthy dose of shock and awe? Young Philadelphia-based label Wet Cassettes is built on those foundations, describing themselves as torchbearers of “weird dirty music for weird dirty people,” a concept that deserves to be saluted from where I’m sitting. Their latest project is Big Chungus, a grimy synth-punk outfit disguising themselves as an underworld creature that I picture to be a drugged-out version of the Golgothan from Dogma. It should be noted upfront that there’s a hefty portion of absurdity at play here, and while there’s a fecal obsession that Chungus puts front and center, rest assured that there will be no poop innuendos coming from me.The six songs found on this self-titled EP showcase an eccentric combination of electronic drums arranged in punk-adjacent forms, overdrive-distorted bass and synths, and a high-pitched squealing scream that’s reminiscent of Bob Otis from Dropdead. It feels a like a satanic response to New Wave with a lot of those early-80s hardcore tendencies, sporting a very similar disregard for convention. “The Long Pee” might be the closest thing to a single, and it’s almost dance-able with … Read more
Left Hand Black
Left Hand Black
Wolverine records (2020)
Back when I was listening to everything with the stamp Horrorpunk on it I discovered a band called The Dead … Read more
Broadway Calls
Sad in the City
Red Scare Industries (2020)
Sad in the City doesn’t mince words. Opening with the lines of “If my country collapses/ can I crash on … Read more
The Lawrence Arms
Skeleton Coast
Epitaph (2020)
When a band is releasing its third new record since 2006, you’d expect some inconsistency. The Lawrence Arms seem to … Read more
