Herzog / Chomp - Split Cassette

Exit Stencil (2015)

This split was another tape that was released as part of Cassette Store Day.  Luckily I didn't have to figure out what a cassette store was and go in search of it out in that cold, cruel world.  I was able to pick it up from the website directly.  I grabbed this and the Chomp cassette from yesterday within a day or two from each other.

Speaking of Chomp, I would discover when both tapes arrived the songs from Chomp on this split are both already on the Bruise Cruise cassette as well.  My opinion of these two songs hasn't changed since yesterday.  They're both pretty awful.  After posting my review of the Chomp cassette yesterday I went back and re-listened to their older full length to see if I was giving them a hard time without reason.  I can assure you I was not.  The Buddha Jabba Mumma album is still fantastic, no clue what happened to these guys in the mean time.

Luckily on the flip side is Herzog.  They have stayed true to the spirit of their last album and haven't disappointed me one bit.  Their nearly ten minute long opus "Slow Days / Arizona" is just a fantastic little slab of great song writing.  As the title suggests, it is essentially two different songs that are joined together by a little intermission meandering in the middle.  Both sections of the song are stuffed with catchy guitar riffs, soaring harmonies and all of the early-Weezer-filtered-through-a-garage-band goodness that I've come to love about this band.  I may be off Chomp at this point, but I am counting down the days until a new Herzog record.

Herzog / Chomp - Split Cassette:

https://herzog-cleveland.bandcamp.com/

Chomp - Bruise Control Cassette

Mirror Universe (2015)

While I was initially bummed that this new Chomp release was only coming out on cassette, I was really excited to hear some new tunes out of these guys.  Having been a huge fan of their 2012 Buddha Jabba Mumma I was eager to enjoy some fuzzy and catchy songs.

Somewhere between 2012 and the release of this new tape, there have been some big changes in Chomp.  The pop has vanished.  Where there was once hints of Superchunk and Wavves there is now a bunch of unnecessary yelling.  The guitar work is muscular and loud, but the hooks that this band used to cram into every song have also disappeared without a trace.  The biggest issue I have with this album is the total lack of singing.  Even on the songs where they are not screaming for the entirety, the vocals have this odd talk-sing thing going on.  Chomp has somehow gone from a band writing perfect pop songs to one that sounds like that crummy 'punk' band at high school shows that you tend to avoid.

Bruise Control is a huge disappointment for me.  It's hard to reconcile how this could even be the same band as the one that released Buddha Jabba Mumma.  Before listening to this album I figured my review would be full of pleas to put this out on vinyl, but having listened to it I don't think anyone should bother. 

Chomp - Bruise Control:

https://mirroruniversetapes.bandcamp.com/album/mu53-bruise-control

Chomp - Buddha Jabba Mumma LP

Chomp - Buddha Jabba Mumma LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Exit Stencil (2012)

The end of the year is overwhelming me with new great records, throwing my end of the year list into a frenzy. One of the biggest culprits in this is Chomp. From what I gather, this is a side project from some of the guys in Cloud Nothings. This is not a selling point for me, I don't really like that band. What is a selling point for me are the constant Superchunk references I'd see in relation to this record.

It's a similarity I can get behind, though I think Chomp is a bit rougher around the edges, reminding me of Wavves or perhaps Shy Mirrors or W.H Walker a bit at times. Over the course of the record, you go from one fast, energetic pop song to the next. Very little filler on this record and I wish I had picked the album up earlier. I think if I had a chance to spend more time with it, Buddha Jabba Mumma would make a real serious impact on my top whatever list this year. Still, even with only a few weeks to listen to it, I can't see how I could not rank it at least in the top 20. Top notch rock.

Chomp - Buddha Jabba Mumma (2 Songs):
soundcloud.com/exit-stencil-recordings/sets/chomp-buddha-...