Pile - Dripping

When: 23/10/2012

Where: Exploding In Sound Records

Dripping is the third full length album from Pile, a quartet from Boston. The band has transitioned into a heavier sound for this record, moving on from their acoustic, folk traits into a much more distorted, post-hardcore one instead. This is a good move for the band, as now they can accompany the pained, emotive vocals in the most perfect of ways.

On one hand, we have a record dripping (eh? Eh?) with pure venom, hatred, bile all just bubbling away and spat across the floor via the strained throat of frontman Rick Maguire. These vocals are joined seamlessly by the heavy, gritty distorted guitars which seem to tear through these tracks easily, and it’s exciting to see rage fully displayed in this comforting way, like an angry nudist or something.

But then on the other hand we have a very melodic, kind of controlled sound the band like to display throughout many tracks on Dripping. These slow moments in tracks such as Prom Song, The Browns and Bubblegum add a whole 90’s grunge element to the mix, and it’s great. I’m sure because of the band’s previous acoustic days that they know how to put a catchy instrumental together, and it shows on here, and they do so without making the angry side of things seem a little fake.

What I love most about Dripping is how unpredictable it is, and how well that fits in with its depressed, angry personality. The Browns features a ton of slow moments, Prom Song erupts into this outburst of raging guitars and a badass guitar solo, Baby Boy becomes the canvas for some screaming, and well there’s just guitar interludes and quiet parts added here there and everything it seems, and that’s great. It’s great to come back to an album as good as this and to still be caught off guard by it even after listening to it a dozen times is a true testament to it’s quality. Good job Pile.