Chuggaboom – “Zodiac Arrest” [Album Review]

So, how do you go about even reviewing something like this when, on the one hand, Chuggaboom’s blatant piss-take of the metalcore genre is absolutely hysterical but on the other, the comedy outfit are so fucking good at the style they parody so much. Either way, there is nothing fundamentally bad about Zodiac Arrest so it just depends on whether or not you’re one of those people who can’t laugh at themselves and, if you are, then Chuggaboom are very much the wrong band for you.

Setting the standard early with the utterly brilliant “Unfriendly Operations Up On The Roof”, there is a danger that Chuggaboom are going to shoot their load before they’ve even started. Full of legendary one-liners like “My mother never loved me” and “If I sing these sort of lyrics back the kids will respect me..” and peppered with electronic/metalcore breakdowns, there are so many laughs throughout these four minutes but you do wonder if the “two-step motherfucker” gang-chant is going to go way over the heads of some people? There are many equally childish moments throughout the album like “Smoke Rings Of Saturn” and “Mad Skills Brah!” where you find yourself chuckling away but, on the otherhand, there are plenty of times when the humour of the song is lost amidst a barrage of pig squeal vocals leaving only those in on the joke left still laughing.

Chuggaboom are both a band who are clearly competent musicians and also one with razor sharp wit but, as Zodiac Arrest shows, while the combination hits more than it misses, there is a danger that this joke is going to wear thin quite quickly.

Track Listing:
01. Raise The Roofie
02. Unfriendly Operations Up On The Roof
03. Mad Skills Brah!
04. 14 Year Olds Have More Sex Than Me
05. A BBQ In Antarctica
06. Smoke Rings Of Saturn
07. Fat Guy In A Little Coat
08. #TBT That Time When I Made Out With Your Sister
09. Humorously Elongating The Title Of This Song
10. Ohana Means Family (You Bastard)
11. I Just Had Sex (Bonus Track)

Run Time: 33.12
Release Date: 26th September 2015