Pig Destroyer - Book Burner

Pig Destroyer
Book Burner (Bookmark Burner version)
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When you visit the No Funeral Ranch, you've got to understand that Pig Destroyer is revered around these parts. Myself and everyone who has ever written for this website are all big fan of the Maryland grindcore band. We think of Pig Destroyer in the same way most normal people think of THE BEATLES.

ON that note, I present to you Pig Destroyer's fifth studio LP Book Burner. The version of the album presented here is a special mix from producer/guitarist Scott Hull that was distributed as a download printed on some sweet looking bookmarks. I picked up my book mark at End Of An Ear Records in Austin, Texas. Hull calls this the Wide Dynamic Range - Deluxe Version or the Bookmark Burner version.

To be honest, I'm not enough of an audiophile to tell any real world difference between this version and the album version. Either way, you get the same kick-in-the-balls grind with JR Hayes's always literate, always creepy lyrics. Killer, mandatory hate!







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Pig Destroyer – Terrifyer

Yo. Here's more old hate from back in the day. I stand by this review (so does my brother) and nothing else needs to be said about the now-classic record. If you don't own a physical copy of Terrifyer (on vinyl, CD, cassette; whatever you've got), then you can go ahead and consider yourself a massive lame-o. What are you even doing on this website? I'm sure that your local Mix 96 station is playing Taylor Swift right now. That's probably more your speed.

There is one more thing worth mentioning. For as much as I love Terrifyer, I have to honestly say that my favorite Pig Destroyer record is Phantom Limb. Of course, Book Burner rules just as much. Maybe Pig Destroyer is becoming one of those bands like Metallica or Converge, where everyone seemingly has a different favorite record of the same band. Where do you stand on this? Post your thoughts on the No Funeral funkbook page.

Pig Destroyer
Terrifyer
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The common perception among the metal masses is that Prowler in the Yard is Pig Destroyer’s most brutal hate. I, along with fellow No Funeral critic DC the Medic, believe that Terrifyer is the actual hate. The reality of the situation is that all the Pig Destroyer material is pure hate and that Terrifyer is every bit as good as Prowler in the Yard. These thrash-influenced grind-meisters have continually turned heavy music on its side throughout their existence. They get brutal like no other (except for Insect Warfare) and Terrifyer is beginning-to-end intense.

Only Terrifyer has been post below. Although this review covers only the Terrifyer LP, my copy was the two-disc version that included the Natasha DVD. I was upset by Relapse’s initial treatment of Natasha as a mere add-on, but Relapse finally gave it a proper LP/CD release last year. Natasha will be posted as its own review in the future (next month?) as I believe it’s a work that should be evaluated on its own.

Compared to the other Pig Destroyer albums, Terrifyer has the most noticeable thrash influence. This is thrash in the vein of Dark Angel, not Municipal Waste. It adds an exciting new element to the band’s sound. Voraciously recommended.






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Pig Destroyer – 38 Counts of Battery

Here's another new/old review. This was originally posted in the Spring of 2009 but "The Man" (as we discussed him yesterday) yanked down the entire post instead of just removing the link. Sigh...

What did I say back then?


Pig Destroyer
38 Counts of Battery
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I check the downloading statistics everyday, so I know exactly how psycho you guys are for Pig Destroyer. I also know how much you’re going to dig this album. 38 Counts of Battery is a discography containing some of Pig Destroyer’s early material. This is pure grindcore terrorism with the hatchlings that would become JR Hayes' lunatic lyricism. 38 Counts of Battery features the Pig Destroyer sides of split EPs with Isis and Orchid, the Explosions in Ward 6 LP, the Pig Destroyer demo and a Dark Angel cover from a never-released thrash covers compilation.

While Explosions in Ward 6 may be eBay fodder these days, it was unmastered and sounds like doo-doo. Those songs have been mastered for 38 Counts of Battery and many of those same songs turn up on the Pig Destroyer demo. Of all the material on this CD, I must confess that my favorites are the Carcass covers originally featured on the split with Isis. The final song on Explosions in Ward 6, “Pixie”, is a window into the future of Pig Destroyer, in addition to simply being ahead of its time. You know you need this.




Pig Destroyer – 38 Counts of Battery






What's changed since then?

The only changes have been positive. Pig Destroyer's stature as one of the all-time, heavyweight champions of grindcore has only solidified over the years. I am proud to say that I "nailed it" concerning the lyrics. If you read the Decibel Magazine Hall of Fame article about Pig Destroyer's Prowler In The Yard album, guitarist Scott Hull is quoted as saying the best thing to happen to Pig Destroyer was when vocalist JR Hayes stopped reading Chomsky and started reading Proust. Yep, I noticed it back then and I couldn't agree more.

Here's the album, sort of. It's posted to Youtube one song at a time but the next song automatically begins when the last one ends; just like a CD. In theory, it should work the same way for you. We'll find out...

More PxDx for you D.A.s

Pig Destroyer
Phantom Limb
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Here’s another (un)healthy dose of Pig Destroyer – the single most popular band amongst the No Funeral readership. On Phantom Limb, Pig Destroyer has not deviated from the classic grind/thrash attack that made the band the biggest thing to come out of the D.C. suburbs since Patton Oswalt. However, this is the record where Blake Harrison of Hatebeak notoriety was added to the line-up as noise artist and electro-destruction specialist.

Guitar terrorist Scott Hull did mix in more Bay Area thrash riffs on Phantom Limb. There are riffs reminiscent of classic, early Metallica but ripped off by no means. Brian Harvey is still killing it on the drums, playing like a literate, non-transplanted Los Angelino version of Pete Sandoval (Morbid Angel, Terrorizer). The afore mentioned Harrison brings the only thing that Pig Destroyer was missing – devastating electronic manipulation and samples in the live setting.

The lyrics of JR Hayes are less existential and more direct on this album. They are closer in spirit to Prowler in the Yard but without the arching motif of a concept album. Example from “Lesser Animal”: “Got no use for psychiatry. I can talk to the voices in my head for free.”

Look at me; I’m rambling on and on about Phantom Limb and you’ve probably already got it downloaded. I expect nothing less than for this to be another giant “hit” on No Funeral. I can picture you all jamming this on your iPods during your next grave-robbing spree. What are you waiting for? Click on the link.





Pig Destroyer – Phantom Limb




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End of Summer Countdown

It's that time of year again. School is back in full swing. Yankees and Canadians are bracing for snow which should start falling in about three hours or so. Yes, Summer is unfortunately over and we're embarking on the death march that is the final quarter of 2009. None of you went outside and did anything while the weather was nice because you were too busy downloading music. Let's take a gander at the most popular downloads on No Funeral during the Summer of 2009.

1. Earth Crisis - To The Death



One of 2009's finer album smoked (ha!) the rest of the competition with 389 downloads. That's over 150 more than #2 on the list. I love this record and clearly you guys do as well.

2. Coalesce - 0:12 Revolution in Just Listening



Is it 2009 or 1999? Another recently-reunited, much-missed, 90s metalcore band scored a hit this summer. Coalesce's classic album 0:12 Revolution in Just Listening racked up 223 downloads.

3. Pig Destroyer - Terrifyer



Long-time No Funeral favorite Pig Destroyer continues to perform well with 212 summer downloads of this classic LP.

4. -tie-

Assuck - Anticapital/Blindspot/+3



Hatred Surge - Collection 2005-07



Old-school meets new-school in an orgy of Southern grind/violence in the #4 position. Assuck and Hatred Surge each pulled down 190 downloads during the summer.

5. Pelican - The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw



Pelican occupies the final spot on the list with 185 downloads. I would say that they swooped into #5 but you deserve better than that.

Thank you for your continued support of this website. Traffic and downloads on the site keep increasing and I'm humbled by the whole experience. I'm pleased to know that there are so many people who take this music seriously and don't treat it like a disposable widget. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write. I love hearing from you.

Finally, the "cover" photo at the top of the post is dedicated to Grim Chris Spann. Two can play at that game.




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Three-way tie for last.

Pig Destroyer/Coldworker/Antigama
3-Way Split EP
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Here's an amusing but in no way essential EP. This 7" was limited to 1000 red-vinyl copies and was given away as a freebie with Relapse mail-orders a few years back. Pig Destroyer contributes covers songs of Integrity and Unsane. Coldworker and Antigama provide one new song (at the time anyway) each.

It pains me to say that this is the worst Pig Destroyer material I've ever heard but, then again, most bands will never be good enough to sound this "bad." You've got to keep everything in perspective. Coldworker, featuring ex-Nasum members, rages through a song titled "Far Beyond Driven" that has nothing to do with Pantera. Antigama is a band. Good for them. They've never done much for me but maybe you'll dig them. This EP is recommended only for those obsessive types who have to have EVERYTHING ever released by their favorite band.






Pig Destroyer/Coldworker/Antigama - 3-Way Split EP




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Pig Destroyer – Painter of Dead Girls

Pig Destroyer
Painter of Dead Girls
Robotic Empire



Here’s an Easter present for the No Funeral faithful: more Pig Destroyer. Painter of Dead Girls is another collection of vinyl rarities. This CD features Pig Destroyer’s side of the split EP with Gob, the band’s picture disc 7” EP and an unreleased cover version of “In the Meantime” by Helmet. They also do covers of The Dwarves and The Stooges, but both were previously available on wax.

Nothing on Painter of Dead Girls sounds drastically different from the band’s latest releases. It was while recording these 7”s that the Pig Destroyer sound emerged. You’re going to want this one. Those EPs have disappeared into the abyss called eBay (I have the S/T picture disc). By the way, did you know that Jon Kortland, currently in Iron Lung, was a member of Gob? This was the good Gob, not the one that toured with that MTV chick April Levine.




Pig Destroyer – Painter of Dead Girls




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Pig Destroyer – Live in Grand Rapids

Pig Destroyer
Live in Grand Rapids
27 July 2007



For Pig Destroyer, a band that doesn’t tour, playing outside of its native Washington D.C. area is indeed a rarity. Generally, the only way to see this amazing band live is to live on the East Coast or to attend one of the large metal festivals held around the country. If you’re like me and you don’t have the disposable cash to jet off to Philly for the weekend, I’ve got the next best thing.

This is a high-quality live recording of Pig Destroyer’s set at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, Mich. The set list is pretty cool, considering this was a show in the summer of 2007. It’s mostly songs from Prowler in the Yard and the split EPs that became Painter of Dead Girls. In other words, it’s Pig Destroyer dishing out grizzled, old hate. I can’t tell if the fourth member (keyboards) is playing with them or if the samples are being run from the soundboard (or wherever). If anyone knows for sure, please, leave a comment and enlighten us all. For as much as you maniacs have loved Terrifyer, you folks should freak over this. Come ‘n get it.




Pig Destroyer – Live in Grand Rapids




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