Pig Destroyer "Prowler in the Yard" LP reissue review

Pig Destroyer

"Prowler in the Yard"

Relapse Records

Released: September 4, 2015 (reissue) original 2001

I love all the auditory chaos that is Pig Destroyer. 

"Prowler in the Yard" has all the necessary elements of grindcore: 

• mind altering guitar riffing 
• a sick heavy sound
• drumming that enrages
• over the top vocal shredding

"Prowler in the Yard" stands the test of time as a classic.

The entirety of the album is an experience that provides a psychological relief and demands a physical response. You can lose it to this. Nothing else exists when this record is on.




This is... or was... the only Pig Destroyer LP I was missing on vinyl. 

I don't have that issue anymore.

This slides in right between Pickens and Pink.

, 

Forget all the nonsense and let loose.

Cheers,

Frank FOE

http://www.relapse.com/pig-destroyer/

http://twitter.com/pigdestroyer

http://pigdestroyer.bandcamp.com/

http://www.relapse.com/

http://www.facebook.com/relapserecords

http://www.relapserecords.bandcamp.com/

http://www.twitter.com/relapserecords

Battalion of Saints 7" Southern Lord Review

Battalion of Saints

"Battalion of Saints"

Southern Lord Records

Released: October 30, 2015

Obtain this record. Pressing of 1,000 (800 black vinyl, 200 clear).

Southern Lord is doing amazing things. Releasing this 7" of new Battalion of Saints songs is amazing.

In the early 1980s, Battalion of Saints were one of the bands that provided the soundtrack to my hardcore chaos. Battalion of Saints version of Motorhead's "Ace of Spades" stands as one of the greatest cover songs ever. It also made Motorhead more accepted by the punk/hardcore crossover into metal. "My Minds Diseased" was quite literally my soundtrack (I was drinking to die most of the time back then - sober > 2 decades presently) .

BATTALION OF SAINTS

MY MIND'S DISEASED

Day and night I look around and see,

My whole life is caving in on me.

My mind's diseased,

With daily life

My mind's diseased,

With daily life

Some days I wish I'd hurry up and die,

To relieve the pressure that's inside my mind.

[Chorus]

All these problems,

There's no escape,

From all these pressures,

In my mind.

These endless days and sleepless nights

I sometimes wonder what the f*ck keeps me alive.

[Chorus]

The thoughts keep pounding in my brain,

There's only one way to alleviate this pain.

[Chorus]

Battalion of Saints LP "Second Coming" from 1984 helped to define me. I was 18 when that record came out and it was one of those records that just never left my turntable and was a mainstay on my radio shows. 

The three songs on this 7": "Darkness", "Nightmare" and "Bombs" take me back to those early days. This is a classic 7". I have listened to these songs repeatedly already! Crazy great music. Perfection. Give it a listen on the Southern Lord bandcamp page: 
http://battalionofsaintssl.bandcamp.com/releases

Anyone knows the Battalion of Saints history, which is dotted with death, overdose and other chaos would have to wonder who is teaming up with vocalist George Anthony. Drummer Mike Vega is currently playing in Hirax, bassist Matt Vicknair and guitarist Nate Javier have played in recent versions of Angry Samoans.

The Battalion of Saints are playing some West Coast US dates in early 2016. I hope they consider coming to the East Coast! The one opportunity I got to see Battalion of Saints my car broke down on the way to the show. They were literally playing ten minutes from my house. Here is how the story went, I drove from Northampton to pick up all my Bethlehem punk friends who couldn't get a ride. Remember, Battalion of Saints were playing in the town I lived, Northampton. Ten minutes I'm there. So I round trip about an hour to get my friends and when we were about 5 minutes away from the show, my car dies. My friends walk to the show and I lose my mind trying to get the car fixed (remember, my mind is diseased) etc... So yeah, please, George Anthony and the rest of the 2015 version of the Battalion of Saints, please come to Pennsylvania (Philly, Allentown, Reading, Bethlehem, hell, even Northampton)!  

Cheers,
Frank FOE

http://www.facebook.com/battalionofsaints
http://www.southernlord.com
http://www.southernlord.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/SLadmin

http://www.twitter.com/twatterlord

Pigs "Wronger" Solar Flare Records Review

PIGS

"Wronger"

Solar Flare Records

Released: October 2, 2015

PIGS are a three piece noisefest from Brooklyn NY with members who have done time in Unsane and some other bands that aren't the Unsane.

This is their second LP. "They" say the first LP "You Ruin Everything" was criminally slept on... I missed it. I didn't miss the EP between the two LPs (my obvious introduction to Pigs). "Gaffe" was a great ep. "Wronger" is a great LP. I probably need to locate a copy of "You Ruin Everything".

Check out the song "Amateur Hour in Dick City" on their label's youtube channel (Solar Flare Records) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW1COympBeQ

i will walk you through my experience with this album.

I loved the band Unsane. Loved seeing them live, loved their music, loved the legend, loved buying their records on vinyl. So the expectations were set on the table.

First time I heard the album name I thought NoMeansNo...

Then I thought BGK...

First time I listened to "Wronger" I thought this opening track, "A Great Blight" was genius. Amazing. Feedback, noise, pounding. "Wow", I wonder if this entire album is going to be this sick. I was waiting for Dave Curran's vocals to come in. I'm running those Unsane howls over the tense assault in my brain and they didn't come. The song made me want to run home and plug in my guitar and create songs like "A Great Blight". Of course shortly thereafter my Marshall head lost all power and that is another story, or maybe it is related...

This first listen was during a walk, which is my new post back injury & concussion habit. Headphones on. After listening to the rest of the album, I thought this is either going to fall into the category of garbage or it will grow on me. 

I have a history with noise rock bands - in that sometimes they take a bit for me to grasp, even though I love the genre. Obviously a lot of the bands push limits and it can take some getting used to... There was a Sonic Youth album that I hated for nearly ten years, but knew I would love it. So I kept it and it became one of my favorite records. Luckily, "Wronger" only took two listens for me to love - not ten years.

Turns out by the third listen, "Wronger" is a killer. Varied in approach and style. I had to temporarily turn off the fact that this was from Ex-Unsane on future listens for me to comprehend. Once I did that I realized how much the Pigs are like Tad (Brothers of the Sonic Cloth) and God Bullies as well as the Unsane. 

Give "Wronger" a few tries on soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/solarflarerds/sets/pigs-wronger/s-VUBsD loudly...

"Mouth Dump" has banjo lunacy. "Amateur Hour In Dick City" starts off with a mega riff. "Wrap It Up" agitates and slices. Plenty of Tad-like howling. "Bug Boy" has a guest vocalist Julie Christmas that is simply a brutal track. "Wronger" and other tracks have a Jesus Lizard-like aggression and tempo.

Thank you Pigs. 

Cheers,
Frank FOE


http://www.pigsnyc.com
http://www.facebook.com/pigsnyc
http://www.solarflarerds.com
http://www.facebook.com/solarflarerecords

http://shop.solarflarerds.com