Pig Destroyer - Terrifyer
Relapse Records - B0002YT7OE - 12/10/04
By Patrick Walsh
With Terrifyer, Pig Destroyer up the ante on their own work whilst simultaneously throwing down the gauntlet to grind bands everywhere; this is not a band that fucks around, and Terrifyer is indeed that, a consistently vicious piece of work, but that's not exactly why it's so good.
Pig destroyer, infamously a three piece sans any bass player whatsoever, eschew speed for speed's sake and know exactly when to take the foot off the pedal and settle into a punishing groove. Tracks such as the thrashy and downright catchy 'Gravedancer' are clear highlights, as they see the band basing their songs upon a foundation of hooks over speed. That's not to say that the band has softened any, and when the band gets going they are faster than ever in the way that 'blink and you'll miss it' grindcore can only be.
The constrast between the groovier moments and outright speedfests make Terrifyer engaging throughout, while the screams, grunts and shouts of J.R. Hayes are truly erm, terrifying at times. Take the track 'Towering Flesh', it's acoustic interlude overlayed with Hayes' disturbingly pained shouting of 'her lips are wet with venom/her posture's serpentine/she'll touch my arm and flowers grow their poisonous and obscene'. This excellent use of dynamics amid obscure lyrical poetry makes for truly effective listening and, combined with the eerie yet brilliant 'Natasha' audio-DVD, Terrifyer is essential for anyone looking for grind that's way ahead of the pack.
8.5/10
Pig Destroyer's Official Website
Relapse Records' Official Website
Relapse Records - B0002YT7OE - 12/10/04
By Patrick Walsh
With Terrifyer, Pig Destroyer up the ante on their own work whilst simultaneously throwing down the gauntlet to grind bands everywhere; this is not a band that fucks around, and Terrifyer is indeed that, a consistently vicious piece of work, but that's not exactly why it's so good.
Pig destroyer, infamously a three piece sans any bass player whatsoever, eschew speed for speed's sake and know exactly when to take the foot off the pedal and settle into a punishing groove. Tracks such as the thrashy and downright catchy 'Gravedancer' are clear highlights, as they see the band basing their songs upon a foundation of hooks over speed. That's not to say that the band has softened any, and when the band gets going they are faster than ever in the way that 'blink and you'll miss it' grindcore can only be.
The constrast between the groovier moments and outright speedfests make Terrifyer engaging throughout, while the screams, grunts and shouts of J.R. Hayes are truly erm, terrifying at times. Take the track 'Towering Flesh', it's acoustic interlude overlayed with Hayes' disturbingly pained shouting of 'her lips are wet with venom/her posture's serpentine/she'll touch my arm and flowers grow their poisonous and obscene'. This excellent use of dynamics amid obscure lyrical poetry makes for truly effective listening and, combined with the eerie yet brilliant 'Natasha' audio-DVD, Terrifyer is essential for anyone looking for grind that's way ahead of the pack.
8.5/10
Pig Destroyer's Official Website
Relapse Records' Official Website
