Chugga, who are they and what do they do? Well Chugga are a two piece, hardcore band hailing from North Wales consisting of Tinman on Drums & Vocals and Brute on Guitar & Bass. We have a chat with them to find out more and also to review their two EP releases.
Before we do that though, we will have a look at their band histories and explore where they derive from. First of all, Tinman has been in Out of Use, Seize The Day, Instant Agony, Stuntface, Face of Christ, Precinct 13 and Los Muchacos. He has also filled in live for Spam Javelin and Proppa Unconscious. Now over to Brute who has played with BBR, Global Parasite, Spam Javelin, Minus 9 Lives and The Cox. Before reviewing the musical offerings of Chugga, I asked the boys a few questions regarding how the band came to be in existence.
DLW: So what was the inspiration or reasons for forming the band?
TINMAN: Chugga started from the idea of releasing music but not always gigging.
DLW: So you've not actually gigged as such?
TINMAN: We've done one gig to date.
BRUTE: Yeah, we've only done one gig. We have no plans on playing live again as we're both busy dads with full time jobs so finding the time to do it live is a once in a blue moon thing.
DLW: I get that being a full time dad myself. I have to ask though, where did the name 'Chugga' come from?
BRUTE: Well, whenever me and Tinman used to talk about how a song sould go, we would always say this bit needs a 'chugga' bit. It's basically the palm muting parts in some of the songs as they make that 'chugga' sound.Â
DLW: Makes perfect sense! Going back to my initial question.... What prompted you guys to form the band?
TINMAN: Brute and I had been in a lot of bands together and we just gel when we create music. I wanted to do something fast, short and not serious at all. We took the speed and hardcore elements of Agnostic Front's 'Victim In Pain', the shortness of S.O.D. and joined that with the comedic slant of the mighty Tenacious D. But the main idea for Chugga came from hearing S.S.S.P. (Skinheads Still Scare People). If two people can create music and it works, then why not do the same?
BRUTE: I think we just wanted to make music that was fun. We've always clicked musically so it was inevitable that we started our own 'tea-drinking' band. (Tea-Core?) As for who's idea for starting, I think it was Tinman, although I don't fully remember!
DLW: Well we have 'Kitchen-Core' with Pete Bentham so why not Tea-Core'? Okay so you've only done the one gig and as far as I'm aware, two CD's? Have you released any other material?
BRUTE: We've just released a single called "Wear A Fucking Mask" and we might be doing a split release with Spam Javelin and Emmysaries (have to talk to Tinman about that). We are however, working on a full length release. It would have come out this year but for obvious reasons we couldn't do it. Hopefully we'll get into a studio next year and get it recorded.
TINMAN: Yeah, Brute is correct. We are looking to do an album, containing new material and possibly re-recording some off the old stuff and putting them on the album too.Â
DLW: Well, thanks guys for the info and hope you are both well. Stay safe!
Part two of this article is a review of what Chugga do. I listen to the whole EP as I wait for the kettle to boil (coffee for me, don't drink tea, sorry guys!)
First up is the Cartridge City EP - July 2017. Eight tracks is just 3 minutes and 8 seconds! Opening track is 'Death By Chugga' and is the second longest track, lasting a whole 50 seconds. The song opens up with what I think is some kind of movie quote (knowing Tinman's love of films, it wouldn't surprise me) before a very melodic, chugging guitar backed with rolling toms on the drums. It soon opens up with full barre chords then the drums stop abruptly as they up the ante to breakneck speed, Brute's guitar hammers away as Tinman spits out the lyrics (or rather lyric) as the whole song consists of the words 'Death By Chugga" repeated four times. Then it ends. 'Prick' is the second track. A second of music, a slight pause followed by a slightly longer section. Song done in 3 seconds! The third track is like a jack hammer smashing into your head. 'Destiny' erupts into life, no intro it's just BANG! And they're away.... two verses, two choruses in just under 36 seconds. These songs are short to say the least but very, very catchy! Love it. Now onto the shortest track on the EP. 'Chugga II' all 2 seconds worth of it. (Shorter than Napalm Death's You Suffer, which for those in the know lasts for 3 seconds) What can you say about a song that lasts two seconds other than it's a quick 1,2,3,4 count then one note - maybe two, a double whack on the toms and screaming the word Chugga. Done and dusted. 'Lego Brick' is the longest and fifth track. It is still less than a minute long though. Straight into it. Now this is something I can relate to and so can anyone who has kids, they joys of standing on lego bricks bare-footed! "Aaaarrghh. Lego bricks are fucking painful!" Indeed they are as I have fell victim to the joys(?) of this unpropitious event! Tinman and Brute have obviously experienced this rite of passage as a parent as their angst is thrown out there for us all to see, short, sharp and snappier than an alligators jaws locking down on it's prey! I wince as I listen as it brings back such happy memories! Next up is 'Liar' a quick drum break to start and ends with Tinman shouting out the one lyric 'Liar' That's it, no guitars or bass. Next..... The band ask us if we want a cup of tea. (As stated earlier - coffee for me) Anyway, rolling drums and a heavily distorted, bass driven ?>guitar - or it could be the bass with distortion, however the thundering drum track meanders deeply and intensely under Brute's guitar as they reassure us of their love for the good old British cuppa! As a reminder at the end of the song 'Don't forget the skimmed milk'. Now we reach the finale of this brilliantly, albeit very short EP. The title track - 'Cartridge City'. After a quick read of the lyrics it is apparently obvious they are referring to classic console games, Sonic The hedgehog being the obvious one (or is the whole song about Sonic?) I wouldn't know as I'm not a gamer, anyhow.... the 21 second final song is my favourite and actually has a guitar intro! it may only be a nano-second long but it is definitely there, honest! Some nice quick guitar changes between vocals whilst the cymbals crash in perfect time then its back to the sonic onslaught of the verses. To summarize, this EP is just exactly what the band have set out to do. Fun, quick and heavily influenced by the American Hardcore scene. I will know boil the kettle again and listen to the second CD.
'Kings Of Tea' is the title of the second EP, released in August 2018. Again it's another eight tracks. This however is slightly longer. All eight compositions are over and done with in 3 minutes and 48 seconds, are they slowing down? The first track might indicate that they have slowed slightly. 'PG Tea Stomp' is quick but not breakneck speed (is Tinman getting old slowing down?) It has an up-beat tempo and as he spits out the lyric - PG Tea Stomp, it then breaks down in a much slower pace and I instantly imagine a hall full of people all stomping around holding china cups spilling tea everywhere! The second track poses a question to us, how do you like your thrash? Well the answer is 'Serious And Satanic'. Could this be the band mocking thrash death metal bands? Who knows, all I know is that it is 6 seconds of questions and answers. The answer was provided by a guest vocalist known only as The Denbigh Dog (Sounds suspiciously like Crud from Spam Javelin but I could be wrong). Third track educates me with a new word 'Chuggaluggadingdong'. I'm sure it's in the Oxford dictionary somewhere, hidden in the reams of that most illustrious reading! Quick note changes interspersed with drum rolls then down to a slower pace is what this song is constructed of, simple and effective. Track four and the lads show us just how caring and kind they are by offering up an apology to anybody whom they may have hurt whilst stomping. 'Considerate Mosh' is slower, interjected with countless 'sorry's'. The fifth track named 'Unleash The Beast' lures us into a false sense of insecurity as it is not a reference to males revealing themselves, it is in fact in a similar area anatomically speaking. A polite way of describing the lyrics is when we've left the house and forgotten your keys and that desire to make a deposit hits us!! A bit of a taboo subject but I'm sure we've all been there! I shan't quote any lyrics but what I can say is that quick guitar crashes and a fast as f**k bass line tear into this rip-snorter 22 seconds of tonal majesty. Another guest (Ron, ex Out of Use, M9L and Seize The Day) takes over the vocal duties on the sixth track 'Ode To Rik'. Dedicated to the late and great Rik Mayall (RIP). Explosive drum roll bursts this 12 second track into life.... 'A partnership with Ade, the best team that was made...' Couldn't agree more. This track is typical Chugga, snappy. I think by now you get what these guys are about. The penultimate track Gravel Splodge is about making tea and coffee but how you draw that conclusion from the title is a bit of a left turn at the junction then split yourself in two and follow the yellow brick road it makes no sense. This story tells of being distracted by a trouser press(?) There has to be a story behind it somewhere! Anyhow, its a slow song for Chugga, all 36 seconds of it.... And finally we reach the climatic offering of this eight track, sub 4 minute CD with what is arguably the groups longest composition, where they tired at this point and slowed down as the title track track Kings of Tea comes in at a massive one minute and 39 seconds. Press play..... a rather patriotic message before the music commences stating that the entire British Empire was built on the perfect cup of tea! This ensemble gives us instructions on how to make the ideal cuppa and shows disdain to a previous tea-related incident that they have obviously endured as it explains the shock and horror of pouring cold milk into the cup before the kettle has even boiled. You ADD milk to the tea NOT the other way round. Boys, I feel your pain and this a very deep and meaningful and symbolic ending to what is arguably a fun CD. It's nice these Chugga fella's have a laugh when making music and don't get embedded with politics and gripes about the shit going on in our lives. A breath of fresh air!
Before I finish this article, Chugga do address a current topical issue, the use of face masks. 2020's offering 'in the ashes of a shit-storm' is titled 'Wear A Fucking Mask'. Available for viewing on youtube as it is not currently on their bandcamp page. A quick four count on the sticks and all 7 seconds of this topical message is played out to us..... 'Wear A Mask, Right Now'! Done.....Â
How can I surmise Chugga? If you love your American Hardcore, short and snappy songs, a sense of humour, don't take life too seriously (unless you can't make a cup of tea) then this band is for you and I doubt you'll ever see them live so you're going to have to pay a visit to their bandcamp page to discover an unearth a little gem!
Words: DLW, Images: Band Media
Bandcamp: https://deathbychugga.bandcamp.com/