Chumhuffer

Reviews

Chumhuffer / Half Dizzy DCxPC Live, Vol. 45 split LP

Whenever I have a DCxPC release come across my desk, I usually gush about the series for half the review before I jump into the meat of the album and talk about the bands. I’ll keep it brief and let you know that I believe these DCxPC live releases are one of the coolest and most important things happening in modern punk rock. If this is your first time hearing of the series, I recommend checking out the whole catalog. However, before you run off on that assignment, this split is a great place to start. HALF DIZZY kicks things off with their brand of high-octane melodic hardcore. This would have been right at home on Nitro Records in the late ’90s/early ’00s. Super tight, so much so that I sometimes forgot I was listening to a live album. CHUMHUFFER is equally well-refined, but plays a more crust/D-beat version of the classic hardcore sound. The vocalist immediately stands out with their impressive melodic range, sounding a bit like Glenn Danzig without the attitude problem. Lovely work here all around, and well worth several spins. I almost can’t believe they’re already on volume 45!

Chumhuffer Slaughterhouse Five EP

I’m often reluctant to hear anything that comes out of NYC these days, because all too often the band is reaching for the lowest rung or overextending themselves for their art. However, CHUMHUFFER is bustin’ out of the gates with a perfectly crafted and accessible five-tune EP. I did a little research on CHUMHUFFER, and found to my delight that the band stole a copy of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five novel from a huge chain store and remarkably used the themes of the book as the architecture for this EP. In other words, CHUMHUFFER, like Vonnegut, is plain spoken and incendiary with their self-reflection and observations on current affairs. This EP has East Coast AVAIL/SILENT MAJORITY elements while adding a little bit of the NYC oddball phrasing. Overall, I think this is a great EP that combines enough melody and hardcore to be much more than a one-time spinner.