“Awesomecore” Band ChuggaBoom: U Laugh?

Metal Hammer comapres the self-proclaimed “awesomecore” outfit ChuggaBoom to “In the same vein as punk pisstakers The Hell,” and it’s easy to understand why: like The Hell, ChuggaBoom are anonymous Brits who revel in taking aim at some of metal’s less, um, refined acts. Sometimes they sound so much like Attila that it’s hard to believe Chris Fronzak isn’t in the band; with lines like “I smoke and drink and shit, how rock ‘n’ roll is this?” and “You’re a fucking faggot, you’re a fucking faggot,” it’s clear that they’ve certainly cracked the code for Fronzak’s distinct style of “poetry.” And, yeah, it’s cute that they call their fans “Chuggalos.”

There’s at least one major difference between ChuggaBoom and The Hell, though, and that difference is this: I can’t imagine ever actually listening to ChuggaBoom’s music, because that music has nothing to offer besides satire. Yeah, The Hell’s “Everybody Dies” has funny lyrics, but it’s also as catchy as malaria. Furthermore, The Hell’s funny lyrics aren’t just a surface-level acknowledgement of the ridiculousness of hardcore/metalcore/whatevercore — they’d be funny even with no historical context (“Get a shit tattoo on your neck on holiday/ Why not? It’s your birthday”).

Obviously, it all boils down to personal taste — I much prefer the bands The Hell sound like (Hatebreed, The Acacia Strain, etc.) than the bands ChuggaBoom sound like — but I don’t mind admitting that I listen to The Hell for pleasure. But I have no real desire to ever hear ChuggaBoom’s debut album, Zodiac Arrest. And while I appreciate anyone taking aim at horrible bands, let’s be honest: pretty much anyone could have written the lyrics to the band’s first single, “Raise the Roofie.” Just because it’s satire doesn’t mean it’s clever, y’know?

Check out “Raise the Roofie” for yourself below and see whatcha think. Zodiac Arrest is out September 26.

[via The PRP]