Album Reviews

The Chisel made quite the impression with 2021’s ‘Retaliation,’ which saw them take the scene by storm. Following a couple of years worth of shows, they are now back with ‘What A Fucking Nightmare,’ out Feb 9^th on Pure Noise Records.

Over the course of one intro and fifteen songs, the London-based five-piece take you for a ride past streetpunk, hardcore stomp and Oi!-styled singalong. And as soon as you make it past the kinda pointless intro, they pull you right in with the ferocious ‘No Gimmicks,’ a hardcore rager that pretty much sums up the band’s mission statement. From there on, it’s onwards with more in-your-face pent up frustration in ‘Fuck ‘Em’ and ‘Evil By Evil’, while the band’s knack for writing melodies shines through in songs like ‘Cry Your Eyes Out’, ‘Those Days’ and the album’s second-to-last track, ‘Cuts Like A Knife’.

Lyrically, vocalist Cal Graham still enjoys raging against everyday frustrations, class divisions and plain ‘gobshites and over-opinionated knobheads,’ which is how he sums up lead single ‘Fuck ‘Em’. But there’s also comfort to be found when he sings about finding like-minded people in a tumultuous world.

If you already liked what The Chisel was up to with ‘Retaliation’, you are definitely in for a treat with ‘What A Fucking Nightmare’. It’s everything that made you take notice of the band in the first place,  ramped up to the next level. And if you are new to The Chisel, try and imagine the best possible mix of the looming sense of danger of ‘Rohnert Park’ era Ceremony, the melodies and singalongs of Cock Sparrer and the sheer drive of Gallows when they released ‘Grey Britain’.

What A Fucking Nightmare track list:

1. What A F*cking Nightmare
2. No Gimmicks
3. Cry Your Eyes Out
4. Nice To Meet You
5. Living For Myself
6. F*ck 'Em
7. Lying Little Rat (Propaganda)
8. Bloodsucker
9. Ain't Seen Nothing Yet
10. Those Days
11. Evil by Evil
12. Tomorrow
13. Vengeance Is For Me
14. What Do You Mean
15. Cuts Like A Knife
16. What I See