I unabashedly love Pig Destroyer. And while they are out of vogue with the kvlt grindsters, I think they are infinitely more interesting than the million other death/grind bands with illegible logos. 2004's Terrifyer is one of the few albums I would consider a modern classic, naysayers be damned. So when I heard they added a fourth (non-bass playing) member, Blake Harrison from Triac, I was excited. I figured this album would be different somehow…and I was right.
While Pig Destroyer is still Pig Destroyer with their warped sense of poetry backed by Scott Hull's thrash inspired million miles an hour riffs, this album sees a slew of longer songs. However, these are longer songs that are faster…but have less blast beats. I don't feel the need to say anything about the maturity of their songwriting because this is a punk band and most people see “mature song writing” as loads of stupid Spanish guitar solos, which I assure you this record, does not have.
The record is missing something that Terrifyer had though, and I'm not sure what it is. The production is wildly different, much more focused on highs and lows instead of pumping the mids. There is no “Towering Flesh” song and the only real breakdown they throw in is a little off time and not quite as heavy as some of their earlier work. The lyrics are less focused on relationships, as well, although the album is conceptually suited for it – not to say that the lyrics are poor. Anyone that can get away with saying, “Your rib cage is open like a great white's jaws. Your legs look so sexy out of context,” and have it makes sense contextually is an ace in my book.
Is this album Terrifyer's b-sides? No. Can I take it out of my CD player? No. Am I immensely satisfied every time I listen to it? Definitely.
