Album Review

Pig Destroyer
Terrifyer
Relapse Records, 2004
32:16

Listen to Pig Destroyer - Thumbsucker

There’s not much wiggle room in grindcore. Songs are a minute or more on average, the music is frenetic and fast incorporating blast beats and shredding guitars and the vocals are generally indecipherable high pitch squeaks. However one band that breaks the mould of the conventions bestowed before them by the likes of Napalm Death and Brutal Truth is the Virginian triplet Pig Destroyer. What makes this even more incredible is they don’t have a bassist.

Grindcore is a musical oddity by itself wherein it may come across as noisy and irritating to some, polished and intelligent to others, however it has been lauded as one of the most technically intricate and complex forms of heavy metal. These days it is difficult to create a sound instantly recognisable and truly unique, but regardless of how you view Pig Destroyer they have seemingly accomplished this and much much more.

A departure from their previous effort, 2001’s Prowler in the Yard, which boasted old school thrash metal with subtle hardcore influences and Vocalist J.R. Hayes borderline demented poetry, the band has spent three years meticulous perfecting and crafting this album, which sees 21 songs race past in about 32 minutes. While there are some similarities to its predecessor, most notably the tormented but poetic lyrical themes, and Guitarist Scott Hull’s chugging beatdowns, everything has been improved upon. The production is crisper, the riffs are more infectious, the drumming is phenomenally fast and the vocals, dare I say it, are more sadistic and morbid than I had thought possible.

Opening with the ironically titled Intro, you can hear the subtle drips of water over a doomy atmospheric backdrop. Then out of nowhere... echoed footsteps climb in frequency and volume until a blood curdling scream perforates your eardrums. When I first heard this years ago, I was scared ****less, and this is only 40 seconds into the album. Right off the bat it smacks into Pretty in Casts, defined by highly technical time sequenced drumming with overlayed 7-string riffing. It is an aural explosion, but Pig Destroyer make it appear controlled and even somewhat catchy.

With every song transitioning seamlessly from one to the next, Thumbsucker just might be the albums mini-opus. At a minute and a half the song starts with grindcore, moves into death metal and ends with a hardcore tinged breakdown incorporating the blast beating of drummer Brian Harvey, chugging guitar and vocalist Hayes shrieking “So punish me for weakness, blame me for everything/I don't like the suffering I like the sympathy it brings”. If you haven’t acquainted yourself with the pure aggression, noise and ferocity of the music by now Sourheart will quickly overwhelm you with its breakneck speed yet groovy guitars, complimentary timed/synched drumming and perhaps the most inhuman opening scream I have ever heard.

The albums longest track, clocking in at three and a half minutes is Towering Flesh. This song is notable because no other track on the album sounds anywhere near this. Beginning with the proficient blast beats grind is known for the song takes a turn towards death metal around half way, building to a crescendo of groove guitar and double kicking before easing into an almost lullaby bridge with an eerie J.R Hayes reciting poetry for mental patients, “Her lips are wet with venom, her posture's serpentine/she'll touch my arm and flowers grow their poisonous and obscene” The song then explodes into a mind melting riff and plummets down with a brutal chugging breakdown.

One thing I noticed while listening to this album is the sheer diversity between the songs and perhaps the most intricate and creative lyricist I’ve ever experienced in extreme metal. J.R. Hayes lyrics convey the emotional underpinnings of thoughts on obsession, lust, rejection and hate in a truly dark and astonishingly interesting way. Notable mentions include themes of unwanted attachment in Boy Constrictor, “Cut my lips off see the lacerations grin/I'm a student of obsession you taught me everything I know” betrayal in Torture Ballad, “The tape across your mouth says more than your words ever could” loss of love interest in Carrion Fairy, “She used to be so radiant so sexy when she laughed/Now her eyes look like gravesites as she speaks in epitaphs” and a self-destructive relationship in the miniature epic Downpour Girl, “I want her to drown me in her poison, I thought she was sewing up my wounds...But she was really planting tumours inside.” It is definitely disturbing and an unnatural way of depicting events, but there’s something oddly fascinating about sick misogyny.

The albums concludes with the title track Terrifyer, a fitting yet diverse ending to an epic album. Harvey's blast beats and double kicks layer upon one another, raising your mood higher untill Hull's slow, groovy and doom-like guitar sends it all crashing back down into oblivion as he chuggs away into obscurity.

Overall Terrifyer is best experienced as a whole, and im sure that’s what the band intended the experience to encompass. Every track has its own distinct character and style and blends so flawlessly into one another. Pig Destroyer has created an opus so inconceivable that most bands their age would exhibit pure envy. The production, done completely by Hull is unabashedly raw and has helped define and develop the band’s sound further since their debut. This is one of the rare albums that I actually felt drained both physically and emotionally after my first listen, and every time I throw it on it still sends shivers down my spine. In a genre where it is increasingly hard to find originality and talent amid certain restraints Pig Destroyer have created a gem that will continue to sound as fresh and encompassing as the first time you played it. Open your mind and allow yourself to be terrified.

Gig Review

Mourningtide Gig Review w/ Before The Throne & Cross The lips of Grace – Rosie’s Saturday 12^th April

Having rocked up outside Rosie’s considerably late and considerably intoxicated I was keen to get inside out of the cold and warm myself up with more beer and what I knew would be a sick live show. Having arrived at nearly 10pm I figured I’d have missed Before The Throne. My suspicions proved correct, although this wasn’t unfortunate because not only had I ever heard of them but from what I was told played very VERY generic metalcore, which in my humble opinion anyone associated with the genre can pick up a guitar and think they are more br00tal than the next dude.

After finding my mates we quickly made our way towards the stage for the supporting band Cross The Lips of Grace who specialise in an interesting hybrid blend of Death Metal/Hardcore (Deathcore for short). After taking an aurally intense hour of highly energetic face melting riffs, blood curdling vocals and bludgeoning beatdowns I was utterly blown away by how much these guys had improved both musically and performance wise, since the last time I saw them. After playing what was seemingly their whole upcoming EP they walked off the stage proud but exhausted. My only drawback from the performance was the female bassist (no sexist) who just stood there picking, looking seemingly stoned, whereas the other band mates were thrashing around the stage with such ferocious intensity... it was a weird contrast. Another drawback from this has nothing to do with the performance of the band but the retarded scene kids “hardcore dancing” every time a breakdown-esque segment drops. For those who don’t know hardcore dancing is a phenomena derived from hardcore music which looks like a (spastic) amalgamation of Irish dancing and boxing. Not only is it stupid and pointless but people get punched and injured for no reason at all. For hilarious footage watch these.

After being fully immersed in the last set, my hopes had been raised for Mourningtide to outperform anyone else on the night. It had been a while since I had last seen them and the area was already packed to full capacity as they walked on the stage. With Vin wearing his signature cowboy hat, vocalist Tyrone grabs the microphone and the band slam into a track off their EP entitled “Evol”. While this is one of my personal favourites it was incredible to see at least half of the crowd was engulfed in the music, with people falling over left and right, and then proceeding to be trampled by more people pushing to get to the front of the mosh. Tyrone doesn’t need to say much to get the crowd pumped but when their most infamous song, “Do You Have It In Black” exploded with the opening riff, both guitarists stood to the front and Tyrone, whilst being dragged into the crowd by crazed fans passed around the mic so everyone could have a scream. This is band-crowd interaction you just can’t get at larger more uptight venues. After about 8 songs my mates and I retreated to the bar re-fill our drinks and have a breather. The crowd exploded into dance the minute “24 Hour Zoo” came on bellowing clear as crystal “even if you’re face was bitten off by a crocodile/you’d still be the most beautiful girl in the world to me.” Ruined and craving water I was just about to stumble to the bar yet again when I hear the opening riff to “Viper Town” their predictable closing song and there was no way I could miss an end to an already extraordinary set. One thing I noticed about Tyrone in this song was the extreme vocal range he exerts every live performance, from low growls, spoken word, and shrieking screams he makes you feel the pain, putting his vocal chords through a shredder every time. The song ended with the crowd roaring “vipers die alone!” over Vins slow sludgy guitar outro.

The band exited the stage and I exited the club bruised, dehydrated and with someone else’s blood on my shirt.