Chat Pile / Hayden Pedigo - In The Earth Again

The sprawling expanse of the American heartland is many things: picturesque as it is desolate, familiar as it is alien. Very few settings manage to capture such contrasting characteristics in equal measure, so it's no wonder that the endless roads and forgotten towns of the deep countryside are practically synonymous with the general concept of a ""post-apocalypse"". Although there's a bleak horror to the rural decay of ""Flyover Country,"" there's a tragic beauty in it's stillness, something which OKC noise rockers Chat Pile and Texas-raised, Oklahoma-based fingerpicking guitarist and composer Hayden Pedigo masterfully capture on the collaborative LP- In the Earth Again. Despite their works occupying what seems like completely opposite ends of the genre and tonal spectrum, Hayden Pedigo and Chat Pile's Captain Ron, Luther Manhole, Raygun Busch, and Stin radiate a genuine synergy with one another that extends far beyond their music. Rather than alternating between moments where either the quartet's signature sludgy beatdown of noise rock and Hayden's Fahey-esque guitar soundscapes individually shine, In the Earth Again sees both Chat Pile and Hayden Pedigo explore latent yet previously untapped aspects of their sounds. For Chat Pile, this meant an opportunity to explore moodier arrangements, indulge in sample and tape manipulation, and pen among the most sincere and personal lyrics in their entire discography. In Hayden's case, this collaboration enabled the visionary guitarist to translate the masterful craft of his typically tranquil, deep country soundscapes into something more sinister, tinged with a visceral, metallic grit that is no less evocative on a sensory level than their solo material. In the Earth Again presents a portrait of societal decay, characterized by the brutality of the active apocalypse and the eerie stillness that follows in it's wake. Throughout it's entire thirty-six-minute runtime, In the Earth Again cycles between rustic tones, snarling aggression, and crescendos of tragic catharsis. While depicting a dying world comes off as exactly the type of thematic framework to expect from Chat Pile, Hayden's presence as a coequal creative force on In the Earth Again makes the end result stand out as a pivotal chapter in each of their discographies.

Vinyl LP pressing. 2025 release. A collaboration forged in the heart of the American Midwest, In The Earth Again unites Oklahoma City's noise rock institution Chat Pile with Texas/Oklahoma's visionary guitarist and composer Hayden Pedigo. What began as a casual split release idea spiraled into a thirty-six-minute album that threads their contrasting sensibilities into something entirely new. Pedigo's panoramic, primitive guitar, meets Chat Pile's industrial decay, creating a record that explores unknown emotional registers and atmospheric depth for both, In The Earth Again sounds like a post-apocalyptic transmission from rural nowhere. Instead of making concessions, the five artists work as a single unit, and each decision is made in support of the greater vision. The result is both intimate and expansive, a tribute to the modern wasteland.