It must be frustrating being in All Pigs Must Die ― every article written about them prominently mentions the other bands the dudes are involved in before talking about All Pigs Must Die's tunes, which on their debut full-length are a raging cacophony of old-school Swedish death metal, '90s d-beat crust and modern metallic hardcore. It has the tossed-off feel the mightily underrated Backstabbers Inc. had, as well as having a similar, amazingly heavy Kurt Ballou-helmed production. All the parts add up to an amazingly enjoyable metal album, one that takes hardcore's attitude and filters it through metal, but never goes metalcore, always keeping things raw and real. The death metal reigns supreme on tracks like "Pulverization," while the title track goes to some sludge-y depths and "Sacrosanct" brings the crust-infused metal. "The Blessed Void" is pure hardcore rage, but delivered with a death metal snarl. The whole thing is an economical and merciful 33 minutes, which means the band's smart ― when it's over, you're not exhausted, but energized. With an album this good, All Pigs Must Die deserve to be known on the strengths of their merits, not what groups the other guys are in or have been involved with (Converge and the Hope Conspiracy).
Is it hard for you guys to get past the "side-project" stigma?
Guitarist Adam Wentworth: I honestly have no idea if people think of us as a side-project, but that's not something any of us care about. If I think a record is good, I don't care if it's a bunch of dudes who are on the road 11 months a year or if it's some kid in his basement with a four-track that never leaves his house.
Listening to some of your heaviest songs, like "The Blessed Void," made me wonder: have you ever considered what kind of effect playing music this aggressive is having on you over time?
I've gone for long periods of time without listening to anything angry or heavy to see if it had any effect on my overall mood and demeanour and noticed no difference. In the end, I just really enjoy this music. Even if I ran seven miles a day to work out my anger and frustration, I'd still be putting out the same records I'm putting out now.
What's next for the band?
We've got about ten new songs, so we're going to keep ploughing forward with writing and head back into the studio when it seems fitting.
(Southern Lord)Is it hard for you guys to get past the "side-project" stigma?
Guitarist Adam Wentworth: I honestly have no idea if people think of us as a side-project, but that's not something any of us care about. If I think a record is good, I don't care if it's a bunch of dudes who are on the road 11 months a year or if it's some kid in his basement with a four-track that never leaves his house.
Listening to some of your heaviest songs, like "The Blessed Void," made me wonder: have you ever considered what kind of effect playing music this aggressive is having on you over time?
I've gone for long periods of time without listening to anything angry or heavy to see if it had any effect on my overall mood and demeanour and noticed no difference. In the end, I just really enjoy this music. Even if I ran seven miles a day to work out my anger and frustration, I'd still be putting out the same records I'm putting out now.
What's next for the band?
We've got about ten new songs, so we're going to keep ploughing forward with writing and head back into the studio when it seems fitting.
