The sprawling expanse of the American heartland is many things: picturesque as it is desolate, familiar as it is alien. Very few settings manage to capture such contrasting characteristics in equal measure, so it’s no wonder that the endless roads and forgotten towns of the deep countryside are practically synonymous with the general concept of a “post-apocalypse”. Although there’s a bleak horror to the very real rural decay of “Flyover Country,” there’s a tragic beauty in its stillness, something which OKC noise rockers Chat Pile and Texas-raised, Oklahoma-based fingerpicking guitarist and composer Hayden Pedigo masterfully capture on In the Earth Again.

In the Earth Again unravels new, yet-to-be-explored layers of complexity for Chat Pile and Hayden Pedigo’s artistic visions. Despite their works occupying what seems like completely opposite ends of the genre and tonal spectrum, Hayden Pedigo and Chat Pile’s Captain Ron, Luther Manhole, Raygun Busch, and Stin radiate a genuine synergy with one another that extends far beyond their music. Each residents of rural America with a penchant for the weird and eclectic, it was only a matter of time before their paths crossed in Oklahoma City’s underground/DIY art scene, first as friends during Hayden’s relocation from one panhandle state to another, and eventually as artistic collaborators as that bond crystallized.

First proposed as an idea to do a more traditional split release together in line with a couple of prior Chat Pile projects, the conversation eventually came to a head while grabbing drinks at a tiki bar to instead opt for making a full-fledged collaborative album. While the prospect of crafting a record from scratch was daunting in its own right, doing so as a collaboration between two artists with vastly different styles presented a whole new layer of challenges.

Yet as luck would have it, Hayden and the Chat Pile boys, with the wind from their recent breakthrough releases in their sails and a rare window of time where they were both home from touring, took the plunge, concocting what is not only a superb synthesis of each projects sounds but a transformative new chapter in each of their bodies of work.

Rather than alternating between moments where either the quartet’s signature sludgy beatdown of noise rock and Hayden’s Fahey-esque guitar soundscapes individually shine, In the Earth Again sees both Chat Pile and Hayden Pedigo explore latent yet previously untapped aspects of their sounds. For Chat Pile, this meant an opportunity to explore moodier arrangements, indulge in sample and tape manipulation, and pen among the most sincere and personal lyrics in their entire discography. In Hayden’s case, this collaboration enabled the visionary guitarist to translate the masterful craft of his typically tranquil, deep country soundscapes into something more sinister, tinged with a visceral, metallic grit that is no less evocative on a sensory level than their solo material.

Framed through a loose yet ever-present narrative soaked in apocalyptic subtext, In the Earth Again presents a portrait of societal decay, characterized by the brutality of the active apocalypse and the eerie stillness that follows in its wake.

Throughout its entire thirty-six-minute runtime, In the Earth Again cycles between rustic tones, snarling aggression, and crescendos of tragic catharsis.

Notes —— Please read carefully before placing your preorder.

In the Earth Again is offered in the following forms:

— Standard Edition: LP 180g HQ — Audiophile quality pressing, running at 33rpm, inside a 6mm spine gatefold cover with matte finish with vinyl colored variants in black, gold and silver.

— [Sold Out] Limited Edition: Oxblood LP 180g HQ — Audiophile quality pressing, running at 33rpm, inside a 6mm spine gatefold cover with matte finish housed in tactile Type-1 aluminum packaging [Oxblood print] alongside a massive double-sided poster.

— Deluxe Edition: Black LP 180g HQ — Audiophile quality pressing, running at 33rpm, inside a 6mm spine gatefold cover with matte finish housed in tactile Type-2 aluminum packaging alongside a massive double-sided poster.

— Sleevepac CD with matte finish including foldable booklet.

— Cassette tape with standard J-card cover, welded gold shell and clear liberty case.

— MP3 (320kbps) and Lossless M4A digital files for download.

Standard

Vinyl — Compact Disc — Cassette — M4A — MP3

Standard — 3700604769118
Deluxe — 3700604769125
Limited — 0
Gold — 3700604774419
Silver — 3700604774402
CD — 3700604769101
Cassette — 3700604769132

October 31, 2025

Outside
Demon Time
Never Say Die!
Behold a Pale Horse
The Magic of the World
Fission/Fusion

The Matador
I Got My Own Blunt to Smoke
Radioactive Dreams
Inside
A Tear for Lucas