Thursday, January 5, 2012

Best of 2011 (albums) ALL PIGS MUST DIE - God Is War (Southern Lord)

With a name like All Pigs Must Die, and an album called "God Is War," how can this not be great? Resembling Slayer at their punkiest, this is hardcore thrash at its absolute finest. Furious punk tempos are broken up by riffage ranging from lightening fast to brutal and deliberate, as lead singer Kevin Baker screams out lyrics like "kill them all" and "all will burn," and really what more do you need?

What sets APMD apart from the slew of crust/hardcore bands that Southern Lord have been emphasizing lately is that these guys not only have better chops, they also have a sense of songcraft that makes for a listen that is more compelling than those records you put on simply because you need something to get aggro with. Even as the band continues to pummel, there are so many mind-blowing shifts in dynamics here and memorable razor-sharp riffs that this feels like something of a watershed album. I could see this becoming the "Reign In Blood" of the hardcore set, and frankly they need it. Hardcore has never been my favorite of the extreme metal genres, but All Pigs Must Die makes it more exciting than it has ever been. I've listened to this record on a regular basis more than any other release this year.

"God Is War"

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