Pig Destroyer - Mass & Volume

Pig Destroyer pulled this EP from the archives for a noble cause, to benefit the family of a recently passed comrade at Relapse Records. Good intentions, not good music. This was written and recorded in a day of leftover studio time and it sounds like it. It wasn't released for a reason, it's not very good. Pig Destroyer's forte is blazing, riffy grindcore, and Phantom Limb proved that Scott Hull can delve into sludge riffing and some other groovy stuff. The band are one of the best at what they do, and they're fairly versatile, but this EP demonstrates what they don't do well.

The 19 minute title track is full of aimless guitar feedback, lost of noise and almost no riffing. Pig Destroyer without riffing is sort of like grindcore without the grind - well, uhm, this is it, a bunch of feedback, a few drawn out guitar chords, and some screaming that's clearly lacking something to accompany. Though the EP is advertised as doom metal, there's little doom there - perhaps "drone doom" but that should always be specified so you don't expect actual metal. It doesn't sound like much went into this one, the band probably jammed with the idea of Melvins' "Spread Eagle Beagle" then played it back and shelved it.

"Red Tar" is a decent track, it's groovy sludge, but it lacks the energy and aggression that characterizes Pig Destroyer. The riffs are slow and heavy, but not crushing like they could be. The vocals are slowed down and sound relatively tame, lacking the hostility of the band's faster material and having neither the groove of heavy sludge vocals nor the aggression of Eyehategod. It's about what I'd expect from a bonus track in another style, it's alright but nothing special, nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to again. I'd put in another CD before hearing this as a bonus track, if it came on a re-release.

This EP is for a good cause, but there's a reason it was shelved for six years and pulled out overnight.

Available for streaming HERE.