The Chisel – ‘What A Fucking Nightmare’ album review: Coasting the line between artistic aggression and pure torture
THE SKINNY: Within the microcosm of music, there exists ample space for expressions of rage. As we navigate the fringes of a revolution, confronting various forms of prejudice and social injustice, embracing the void becomes our sole recourse. The Chisel have long been pioneers in the resurgence of Oi! punk‘s gritty yet enduringly sharp ethos, yet What A Fucking Nightmare does little more than set the tone from the outset.
The allure of The Chisel lies in their bold determination to challenge societal conventions and reflect ordinary experiences. With tracks like ‘Cry Your Eyes Out’, they demonstrate their potential to emerge as a defining voice, unafraid to confront foundational issues surrounding the treatment of women. Meanwhile, ‘Those Days’ unveils a poetic facet of the band, retaining its uncompromising essence while employing genuine, impactful language devoid of suggestive or harmful undertones.
However, while it’s easy to appreciate their approach, sound and listening experience is a big part of musical enjoyment, and What A Fucking Nightmare gets lost in translation. The sound of The Chisel is steeped in pub-rock influences similar to Chubby And The Gang, coupled with the raw essence of old-school hardcore akin to Violent Reaction and Arms Race. However, their core identity is rooted in the gritty, confrontational ethos of oi and street-punk bands from the late 1970s and early 1980s UK scene.
This music was unabashedly raw and rebellious, a sentiment that The Chisel fully embrace and embody. While Oi! isn’t necessarily supposed to be “nice” music and existed in the beginning to epitomise the ugliness of working-class, skinhead culture, What A Fucking Nightmare feels a little too brutal in execution. The album delves into a profound appreciation for the raw, unadorned energy of this boldly unpretentious form of punk rock, ripe for sweaty singalongs and eager to accentuate class conflict. However, while inherently political, the resulting sound begins to lose its initial integrity.
For fans of: Eating cereal with a fork.
A concluding comment from Tom’s mother: “Punk isn’t dead; it’s simply trapped eternally in 1978, weighed down by Doc Martens.”
What A Fucking Nightmare track by track:
Release Date: 9th February | Producer: Jonah Falco | Label: Pure Noise
‘What A F*cking Nightmare’: The Chisel was once called “a fucking nightmare to be around,” hence the album title. While it seems like the perfect way to handle the “haters”, this introductory track effectively tells you to run for the hills. [1/5]
‘No Gimmicks’: The Chisel indeed arrives without any gimmicks, embodying a mantra devoid of pretentiousness. However, ‘No Gimmicks’ seems somewhat contradictory, as the lyrics prove challenging to decipher and the music feels too erratic to seamlessly fit in. [1/5]
‘Cry Your Eyes Out’: The best part of ‘Cry Your Eyes Out’ is the line, “Sitting there with your head in your hands and you wonder where it went wrong / After all the shit that you put her through You wonder why she’s gone?” A sound like The Chisel’s might encourage you to wrongly assume they aren’t very nice people, but a deeper delve into their backgrounds and lyricism reveals the exact opposite. [2.5/5]
‘Nice To Meet You’: The track kicks off with an intriguing chord progression bound to invigorate any crowd eagerly awaiting the band’s energy. ‘Nice To Meet You’ embodies The Chisel’s trademark British cheekiness. It’s just unfortunate about the ringing in your ears afterwards. [1/5]
‘Living For Myself’: ‘Living For Myself’ carries a subtle indie-rock vibe, yet it falls short of offsetting the track’s relentless aggression. While some may argue that this intensity is intentional, the absence of a connection with the audience makes it evident that the art of engagement remains elusive within this piece. [1/5]
‘Fuck ‘Em’: It’s challenging to connect with music when the lyrics are entirely unintelligible. In ‘Fuck ‘Em’, while the arrangements certainly echo the title’s sentiment, it’s less evident what specifically is fuelling the anger within the song. [1/5]
‘Lying Little Rat (Propaganda)’: As the name suggests, this song deals with someone who seems to be a know-it-all. Vocally, this song is much easier to get along with than its accompaniments, yet a sense of resistance lingers within, urging for complete rejection. [2/5]
‘Bloodsucker’: While Cal Graham claims the song is about “that one punisher who doesn’t know when to fuck off, torturing you with their drivel,” which most of us can relate to, the song lacks focus, resorting to nothing more than endless ramblings. [1/5]
‘Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’: The guitar riff yet again sets up what’s expected to be an intense yet enlightening sonic journey. For some reason, however, not checking back in this far into the album is a challenge, making the promising soundscapes of ‘Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’ almost impossible to engage with. [1/5]
‘Those Days’: The best part of ‘Those Days’ is its lyrics, which lean heavily into The Chisel’s penchant for poeticism; however, as usual, the track proceeds to fall short the minute Graham’s harsh cries chime in. [2/5]
‘Evil by Evil’: Despite previous statements, the capabilities of Graham’s voice are impressive. ‘Evil by Evil’ might seem like The Chisel’s most ambitious endeavour yet, making its arrangements that little bit more endearing than previous tracks. [2.5/5]
‘Tomorrow’: It’s clear where ‘Tomorrow’ is trying to go, and for a moment, you almost let it guide you. The arrangements are undeniably gripping, and yet there’s something that stops you from fully letting go. [2/5]
‘Vengeance Is For Me’: ‘Vengeance Is For Me’ is where the album begins to pick up again, but unfortunately for The Chisel, it arrives a little too late. It’s clear that their punk sensibilities and prowess as leading rockers in the movement is fully intact, but hitting the mark every time is important, too. [3/5]
‘What Do You Mean’: This track incorporates introductory notes that promises something great; and it delivers, until the second verse, when the listener fatigue officially sets in. [3/5]
‘Cuts Like A Knife’: Once more, The Chisel demonstrates their prowess in crafting poignant and captivating lyrics with ‘Cuts Like A Knife’. Few can match the band’s role in spearheading this resurgence. The only setback for ‘Cuts Like A Knife’ is its placement on the album, not among the opening tracks. [3/5]
‘What I See’: This track certainly feels like an appropriate final curtain call on What A Fucking Nightmare, proving more experimentalism than other tracks and keeping you on your toes throughout all its sections. [3/5]
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