PIG DESTROYER
HEAD CAGE
We may earn an affiliate commission if you make a purchase after clicking on links from our site. Learn more
One of the finest albums of the fall season that deserves space in your autumn playlist (right alongside everything Sabbath & Zeppelin) is PIG DESTROYER’s 2018 work of grindcore perfection, HEAD CAGE.
Listen on iTunes, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your Podcasts.
Leave us a Voicemail to be played on a future episode: 980-666-8182
Follow us on the Socials:
Facebook - Instagram - Twitter
Can’t be LOUD Enough Playlist on Spotify
Metal Nerdery Munchies on YouTube
While the Alexandria, Virginia based grind lords are one of the most recognized bands of the genre, HEAD CAGE has a more “mainstream” sound that could best be described as a convergence of 80’s & 90’s thrash with an infusion of hard core and doom textures as well as subtle hints of industrial sampling and modern metal, packing a veritable “buffet” of jaw droppingly sick riffs into each and every song, resulting in a complete work that’s so satisfying it’s virtually impossible to not listen to on perpetual repeat.
PIG DESTROYER on the InterWebs: https://pigdestroyer.band/
Released September 7, 2018
Recorded December 2017 – February 2018
Studio Visceral Sound Studios
Label Relapse
Producer Scott Hull
Pig Destroyer
J. R. Hayes – lead vocals
Scott Hull - guitars
John Jarvis – bass, gang vocals
Blake Harrison - noise, samples, gang vocals
Adam Jarvis – drums, gang vocals
Buy The Album Here
Tracks
1 Tunnel Under the Tracks
2 Dark Train
3 Army of Cops
4 Circle River
5 The Torture Fields
6 Terminal Itch
7 Concrete Beast
8 The Adventures of Jason and JR
9 Mt. Skull
10 Trap Door Man
11 The Last Song
12 House of Snakes10 Freedom
Hold off on consuming those “big fruity drinks” until after you’ve heard our brand new “health advice” segment, including an acknowledgement of “Sober October”, a breaking news update impacting the nymphomaniac community, as well as our ongoing debate regarding “which itch is worst?”.
Get ready to learn the identity of the individual responsible for every outgoing answering machine message in the 80’s (not to mention the spoken word intro to “Prowler in the Yard”), discover the hidden dangers of banana peels at funerals and JOIN US as we dive into one of the finest moments ever chronicled in the history of metal and unlock the secrets hidden within PIG DESTROYER’s HEAD CAGE.
TUNNEL UNDER THE TRACKS:
Ahhh, the soundtrack from the ballroom of the Overlook Hotel, circa July 4th, 1921 (Midnight, The Stars and You), and a brief “Warning” before everything erupts and explodes into the roaring cacophony of sonic chaos that could only be classified as a perfect Pig Destroyer opening track.
There’s really no better way to build tension and open an album than this.
“They shall all drown in lakes of blood.”
DARK TRAIN:
YES! No delay, just straight into the fray. Also, there’s at least 6 different riffs in the span of the first ½ of the song (which is only 1:11 in duration!).
Blast beats right out of the gate…probably one of the finest moments in grindcore, bar none. Actually, it’s bordering on a blend of grindcore and thrash (grindthrashcore maybe?). And by the time you’ve registered what just happened, everything fades out in a wash of dissonance and feedback.
“I’ve just got a one track mind
that serves a dark train.”
ARMY OF COPS:
Definitely a hostile indictment regarding the endless “Tower of Law” vis a vis the endless (and more often than not NEEDLESS) legislation perpetrated by the bureaucratic governing bodies transforming our entire planet into a perpetual police state. Add to that the fact that police are legally allowed to lie as part of their job and, well…here we are. (Kinda makes one wonder how the police went from “Peace Officers” to “Law Enforcement”, doesn’t it?)
That’s one of the greatest things about Pig Destroyer: there is NEVER a shortage of tasty riffs. It’s quite literally an endless landscape of wall-to-wall riffs.
Tell me, where does it stop?
This tower of law, this army of cops…”
The riff going into the breakdown with the sampling and the drums is straight up audio pornography. It’s really more like ultra heavy groove metal than grindcore, but I suppose calling it groovegrind would be a nice compromise. Or maybe groovecore perhaps?
“Why would God create
Something so weak?
Unless He wanted it to suffer…”
CIRCLE RIVER:
Still kinda grindy, but it also sounds like groove metal after going to the gym and hitting the weights. This may be the most “accessible” track on the album for the mainstream metal crowd. It certainly seems like the most mainstream song on the album (well, mainstream for Pig Destroyer anyway…).
Definitely a good way to ease people into P.D. if they were not already familiar. Sorta like starting out with Enter Sandman and then working backwards to Fight Fire with Fire.
It’s always cool when a band uses samples in their music because it provokes thoughts of “I wonder where that originally came from?”
“It’s not that I don’t care
I’m just tired of going nowhere…”
THE TORTURE FIELDS:
There’s simply nothing uglier and heavier than that opening riff. This is one of those songs that could be put on infinite repeat and never get boring or repetitive. The blast beat shockwave, the riff insanity that follows, and the lock step coordination with the rest of the band is an absolutely mind-blowing testament to their superb musicianship.
The fact that they can pack more riffs into a single song than some bands put into an entire album makes them “next level” in the world of riffdom. And for that, we give Scott Hull tremendous thanks.
It just doesn’t get much better or more brutal than that final minute.
“Hail the wrong
Praise the obscene
Death upon
It’s skeletal steed…”
TERMINAL ITCH:
Blast beats right out of the gate along with about 4 different riffs in the first 15 seconds!!!
The double bass is sick and that breakdown around :49 is pure sonic brutality.
“After a year
The side effects appeared…”
CONCRETE BEAST:
“This shouldn’t exist!”
Crushingly heavy grooves…intensely complex riffing…it’s like Iommi Riff Calculus. And J.R. Hayes lyrically paints a perfect picture of any and every metropolitan city skyline plagued with nothing but geometrically connected abominations of concrete and steel as far as the eye can see.
“Vandalize the rubble…”
That bass is, in a word: MEATY!
“Like a flood of bricks and steel
Buildings fused together.
Impossible architecture…”
THE ADVENTURES OF JASON AND JR:
Check out those lyrics; it’s got a little bit of everything: snipers, jet packs, tacos, the FBI, murder, all the typical subject matter you’d expect in a single Pig Destroyer tune.
“We ran for our lives,
Straight into the clutches of the FBI…”
MT. SKULL:
The music video for this tune is the most fun you’ll ever have watching a coffin doing skateboard tricks and people slipping on banana peels at a funeral (actually, has anyone REALLY ever slipped on a banana peel and/or dropped a coffin on the way to a funeral?).
“Everyone on Mt. Skull is dead…”
TRAP DOOR MAN:
Some ugly chords to start things off, and some double bass for extra flavor and intensity.
The great thing about Pig Destroyer is that they never linger on a riff long enough for any listener to ever get tired of it. It’s like they’re able to time everything perfectly without dragging anything out longer than necessary.
“If you make me pick a side
You might not like what I decide
Apparently, if we disagree
We’ve become sworn enemies…”
THE LAST SONG:
Definitely a strange intro, with the samples and the bass & guitar playing opposite each other initially.
Scott Hull is without question one of the premier Riff Lords of our time. His riffs are some of the best in modern metal, without a doubt. Fucking brutal…and hail to you, sir.
Almost more thrashy than grindcore. But damn if they don’t cram their songs full of riffs like an oversized California burrito.
Easily some of the tastiest, heaviest, brutalist riffs this side of the Mason Dixon line.
“In order to hold
You must be willing to lose
I admire who you’ve become
I only want the best for you.”
HOUSE OF SNAKES:
The intro sounds like a doomy, tuned down version of Metallica’s “Blackened” (from “…And Justice For All”) but with WAY more low end to it.
It’s the longest song on the album, clocking in at 7 minutes, with the lyrics telling a tale about a lone detective who’s investigating a deserted, empty house where 6 unsolved murders have occurred over a 60-year span.
“The name’s Detective Chase…
I’m working a cold case…”
It would seem that the slow, plodding heaviness is the lead up to Detective Chase actually entering the White’s Ferry house…
Upon the opening of the front door to the house, Detective Chase draws his gun and realizes to his horror that there are countless snakes infesting the entire house.
“The snakes are black
Red diamonds on their backs…”
Finally, a lone behemoth serpent emerges from the basement and confronts Detective Chase and orders the lesser serpents dwelling within to strike down the “Intruder in the House of Snakes”.
All we can surmise is that Detective Chase has become the 7th unsolved murder to take place at the White’s Ferry house.
Show Notes:
(00:01): “You know what I love about words?” / #hotranch and #poopmucus / “That does make me kinda queasy…” / “There’s no pain in the brain…” / #beachvibes / ***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised *** / ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST WITH ABSOLUTELY NO ANESTHESIA!!!*** / #soberoctober / “Actually Sharon is Sharon…” / “Mean bean?” / #MonsterEnergyDrink / “I don’t know where they find #squarefish at, but… / A great #tagline for #MetalNerderyPodcast / “THAT’s the thing that got the biggest laugh…” / “Podcasters are all millionaires…” / #manifestation / #RussellsReflectionsBeachEdition (“I take an auger…”) / Crank #TheChronic (or #Slayer) / “I want kids between me and the water…” / “…and I could still see my dick this morning…” / #thelittlethings / ***You can email us at metalnerdery@gmail.com and check us out on the #socialmedia at #facegram #instabook #facetits (“Jowls are facetits”) or you can GIVE US A CALL AND LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL AT 980-666-8182!!!*** / #TheVoicemailSegment #JohnnyO and #riffrecognition (see also #Kyuss and check out our Kyuss Episode!) / #WelcomeToSkyValley / “They’re all Sabbath riffs…ultimately.” / #RussellsReflectionsBeachReprise / “What’s the leading cause of death among #nymphomaniacs …?” / We have one more… #Darius and #cokelines (“It sounds like you know…”) / “That was NOT sped up.” / “It’s like #bonehardness …” / 11:45 vs 1:00 / #chemtrailmix / “Just change out the chemtrail mix…”/ #cropdusting (“You almost never have a non-fragrant fart…”) / #RussellsReflectionsHealthTips (#bigfruitydrinks) / #alkaline
(18:46): #TheEmailSegment (future #LambOfGod #albumdive) / METAL NERDERY PODCAST PRESENTS: PIG DESTROYER – HEAD CAGE!!! / #SwineSlayer #PigDestroyer / Released September 7, 2018 / #grindcore (“Actually…”) / First album with bass / “If Bob Rock produced #grindcore …” / #bucketlist #comingtoatlanta / Alexandria, Virginia / TUNNEL UNDER THE TRACKS (“Just let it go…”) / See also #TheShining / “They shall all drown in lakes of blood…” / DARK TRAIN (“I’ve just got a one track mind…”) / “Does that just not give you a boner?” / ARMY OF COPS (“That mix though…”) / #allthecokelines / “Tell me…where does it stop? This tower of law…this army of cops?” / “Their sound is badass!”
(29:22): “It’s probably the most #mainstreamsong on this record…” / CIRCLE RIVER (“It’s like their Enter Sandman…”) / “It’s just a meaty sound…” / THE TORTURE FIELDS (“The balls of that…I like the sound…”) #andbegin / “This…right here.” / #letsgo / “That’s definitely my favorite so far…” / #mindorgy / “You don’t want to go to a buffet with 3 items…I want like 18 things.” / “You’ve just gotta let it go…” / TERMINAL ITCH (“Wait for it…”) #thebreakdown / “I come almost every time I hear that part…” / “Especially…down there…or inside…” / #buttholeitch / “Back in the old days…when Howard Stern was funny…”/ #newsshow (like #TheTriangle) / #Twist
(40:23): CONCRETE BEAST (“Vandalize the rubble…”) / #meaty / “Check out the breakdown on this…” / “Like a flood of bricks and steel…” / “That’s supposed to be J.R., not Jr.” / THE ADVENTURES OF JASON AND J.R. / “We ran for our lives…straight into the clutches of the FBI…” / Check out the video for MT. SKULL (#TimAndEricAwesomeShowGreatJob) / #bananapeelmadness / TRAP DOOR MAN / “It’s technically the next to the last song…” / #No / THE LAST SONG (#meatybass) / “It’s like Sabbath on steroids…after the gym…” / “Which do you think is worse?” / #markthetime
(52:10): “I’ll bet within 10 seconds, you can tell me what it sounds like…” / HOUSE OF SNAKES (“They’re coiled on the chairs…they’re crawling down the stairs…they’re squirming everywhere!”) / “That’s like #audiococaine is what that is…” / “Fun fact: Stephen Hawking did all the outgoing messages on #answeringmachines in the 80’s…” / “Ultimately, that’s definitely a #thrashalbum …” / “Next year’s a #lapeyear (and/or a #leapyear) and also an #electionyear …” / ***THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US AND CONTINUE TO SPREAD THE WORDERY ABOUT THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!*** / #sportsdogs and other #sportsballnews / ***Come on down to the Bunkerpoon Gift Shoppe and purchandise some merchandise at metalnerdery.com/merch *** / #untilthenext #outroreel