For me, this year has seen quite a few releases that I have been pleasantly surprised by. Bands like Cattle Decapitation, Converge and countless others focused their efforts on songwriting over technicality or brutality with exciting results. While they certainly weren't slackers to begin with, Pig Destroyer definitely wins my "Most Improved Band" award this year. Terrifyer lifts them, in my estimation, from a fun - but relatively unlistenable - grind band to an accomplished and shockingly versatile metal band. While their other records always had a certain niche appeal, this will undoubtedly be a breakthrough record for the band and a leading contender on many critics' year-end top ten lists.
For those unfamiliar with Pig Destroyer's back catalog, their previous efforts were among the most extreme grind ever produced. Akin in style more to Agoraphobic Nosebleed than Carcass, they had essentially perfected the thirty-second song format. It came as a bit of a surprise to see nearly all of the disc's songs clocking in at well over a minute. But these songs possess something that Pig Destroyer often lacked: cohesion. They also seem to have brought some previously unheard influences to the table, including lots and lots of thrash. They've always had great chops, but this record really shows them off. There's even a guitar solo! The record seems to be missing some low end, but that shouldn't strike many fans as unusual since they have no bass player.
There are two added bonuses that make this album an essential purchase in my mind. The first is the inclusion of a DVD containing the track "Natasha," an ambient doom epic longer than the entire Terrifyer album. While it doesn't really stand alone as incredible, as a bonus, it's great. Add to all this a package that comes as close to visually capturing Pig Destroyer's aesthetic as humanly possible and you've got one of the most worthwhile owns that's come along in some time.
Bottom Line: This is another in a string of powerful releases from Relapse this year. Any fan of metal or grind is sure to appreciate Terrifyer. If you liked Pig Destroyer before, I'm sure you've already witnessed this record's majesty. If you haven't, you need to. End of story. |
