Some records announce themselves with a wall of noise. Others take a darker approach, creeping in through the cracks and leaving you with the uncomfortable feeling that something is following you home. The Casket Chronicle's self-titled album falls firmly into the second category.
Originally released through 1332 Records in 2007, The Casket Chronicle is a compact ten-song collection that wastes absolutely no time getting to the point. At just under half an hour, it moves quickly, but there's enough atmosphere and personality packed into these songs to make the record feel considerably bigger than its running time.
This is music with a foot planted firmly in the darker side of punk, where death, decay, paranoia, and the supernatural aren't just subject matter, they are part of the scenery.
The result is a record that feels very much of its era while still fitting comfortably into the kind of strange, independent punk catalog that 1332 Records has always championed. It's dark without taking itself too seriously, aggressive without becoming monotonous, and short enough that you'll probably find yourself starting it over before you realize you've reached the end.
If you came to 1332 looking for polished mainstream rock, you've taken a wrong turn somewhere. If you're looking for obscure punk, horror, death, and underground weirdness, however, you've arrived exactly where you should be.
Ten songs. Twenty-eight minutes. No wasted space.
The Casket Chronicle is the kind of overlooked underground record that deserves to be dug back up — preferably before it digs itself back up.
Originally released on 1332 Records in 2007.
