ALBUM REVIEW: Death Pledge – ChuggaBoom
Eight years ago, a mysterious bunch of masked men emerged from somewhere in England declaring themselves to be the ‘saviours of metalcore’. It was a strong claim, one that would have seen most bands laughed out of town, but then everyone realised CHUGGABOOM were both a) bloody good at making music and b) possessed serious comedic chops, at which point they all got on board, formed the Chuggalo community and have taken the quintet skywards of 10 million Spotify hits, 2.5 million YouTube views and 540,000 likes on TikTok. Meanwhile, the band have two albums and five EPs to their name including the 22-song Christmas Number Ones, the Chugg Wars: The Covid-19 Saga song trilogy and a metalcore cover of Bohemian Rhapsody… as you do. Now though, they’ve got their sophomore release to set the world on fire: Death Pledge, the follow up to 2015’s Zodiac Arrest, arrives on Friday November 4th via Dead Serious Recordings.
One of the keys – indeed, perhaps the critical one – when infusing comedy with music is getting the balance absolutely right; go too far one way and you’ll be seen as cringey, too far the other as taking the mickey out of a deeply respected craft. CHUGGABOOM have got it spot on; opening track Simpler Times is, when you listen closely, an attack on being spoilt for choice with streaming services, yet right at the beginning comes a gleeful shout of “Oh shit, it’s CHUGGABOOM 2022 motherfuckers, yeah!”. It’s simple, but enough to both connect with a listener and make them grin like an idiot simultaneously.
Bad Skills Brah discusses the savagery of being inept at online gaming, No Rules, No Limits speaks about the high points of a touring schedule – replete with the gloriously silly shout of “Take a shit in the mosh pit” – and Smoke Rings Of Saturn Pt. 3: The Mourning After follows the previous two instalments in CHUGGABOOM‘s back catalogue, this one discussing waking up with a corker of a hangover and being forced back out again that night. Musically, they’re all over the place in the best way – at points channelling BRING ME THE HORIZON and OUR HOLLOW, OUR HOME, at others the likes of FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND and THE DIRTY NIL. It’s an odd mix, but it goes together regardless.
However, when CHUGGABOOM need to be more sombre, they have no fear in doing so. In contrast to the aforementioned No Rules, No Limits, the frustrations of touring are portrayed in The Hatred (which features INVISIONS vocalist Ben Ville) and The Price Of Success discusses the reality of dealing with excessive merch orders in your own house. However, it’s the closing title track that really hits home, a powerful message on the struggles of mental health and something that is sure to resonate with anyone and everyone who listens to it. It’s also proof, if any more were needed, that behind their masks and bouncy personas, CHUGGABOOM are just as human as the rest of us, and indeed that goes a long way to explain why they have such a fervent fanbase; because they are just the same as us, even if they’re on stage and we’re not.
It’s been a long wait for a fully original follow-up record from CHUGGABOOM, but it’s been worth it. Death Pledge is an album to sing loud at times and reflect on at others, a finely poised cocktail of the stupid and the serious that goes down dangerously well. Join the Chuggalo movement and be proud of it; your invitation is right here.
Rating: 8/10
Death Pledge is set for release on November 4th via Dead Serious Recordings.
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