Grindcore/metal band Pig Destroyer returns with “The Torture Fields,” the second single from their highly-anticipated sixth studio album, ‘Head Cage.’  

“I ride a cockroach / Down your streets of trash / Baptized in shadow / Born in a car crash.” Poetic. Anyways, Pig Destroyer makes their first appearance ever on The Musical Hype.  For a little background for those unfamiliar, this Virginia grindcore / death metal / thrash metal band has been in action since 1997.  The members that comprise this collective are Jr. Hayes (vocals), Scott Hull (guitars), Adam Jarvis (drums), Blake Harrison (electronics), and John Jarvis (bass). The band is back with “The Torture Fields,” the second single from their forthcoming album, Head Cage, their first new album since 2012 (Book Burner).

Getting right into “The Torture Fields,” utterly malicious, distorted guitars kick things off.  Soon enough, even more devastation occurs with the entrance of pummeling drums.  Adding to the hellishness are the aggressive, ‘in-your-face,’ screamed vocals by Jr. Hayes.  To say the least, this man totally has no chill whatsoever. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Throughout this torturous experience, there are some great shifts.  At under three minutes in duration, “The Torture Fields” is relatively brief.  Still, the aforementioned shifts keep the element of unpredictability alive.  The unpredictability is definitely a selling point, keeping things interesting. Another selling point? The poetic, if dark, unapologetic, angst-laden lyrics.  Notably, as biting as “The Torture Fields” is, the band eschews profanity.

“In the distance / I swear I can hear / The thumbscrews turn / Into torture fields / The thrill of violence / Is what I seek / The sweet / Tension and release…

Final Thoughts

If death metal is your thing, you should be onboard with “The Torture Fields.” Even if you’re not a big-time, metal fan – say, you’re an open-minded listener who isn’t genre specific – maybe, just maybe, you’ll be charmed by the chaotic, cacophonous nature of this record.  Melody may not be the best attribute, but the intensity is a sight to behold.

Pig Destroyer • Head Cage • Relapse • Release: 9.7.18

Photo Credit: Relapse