Pig Destroyer Alienate Some Fans With Latest Single, 'Army Of Cops'

Wait, this isn't grindcore? Oh no, won't someone think of the children!

Originally meant to be released around this time of year right now, Pig Destroyer's next album 'Head Cage' has been pushed back for a September release, but not before a new single was untethered. This week's first taste of that new album, 'Army Of Cops', isn't the American grindcore band suddenly going completely soft or losing all of their energy; just them taking a more hardcore route with a cool Twin Peaks sample to boot. All the while lyrically talking about how people take ease over quality and justice; how we as a society sadly often allow the slow eradication of our rights and become far too subservient.

Other than being their first new album since 2012's 'Book Burner', 'Head Cage' is actually the first release to feature a bassist in their discography, this being four-string rumbler John Jarvis, who joined back in 2013. Judging from this one new song, this forthcoming LP will have a much more balanced, cleaner mix than earlier Pig Destroyer releases - courtesy of Will Putney -  which as you can imagine, has upset older fans greatly. Becuase boy, this new track is copping some real hate lately!

Checking over the comment section of the band's own post and the below YouTube video, it's clear a lot of listeners aren't too keen on it. With most negativity being aimed towards the song's lack of harsher sounds; their being zero blast beats; frontman J.R. Hayes' vocals sounding shot out when compared with his past performances (can't scream like that forever, I guess); how it seems like they're aiming for a metalcore/deathcore-orientated crowd (which I don't get, but whatever); and how it just ain't grindcore anymore. Which is odd to me as this band has always experimented with other genres over the years. This is still 'heavy', still got some pretty groovy riffs, has a solid structure, and is the American group not opting into putting out just another grind album, heaven fuckin' forbid.

Even their label, Relapse Records, jumped to defend the track with this YouTube comment on the below film clip:

"Attention new school nerds: Pig Destroyer has always released different styles of extreme music from album to album. Take songs like the Diplomat, Starbelly, Terrifyer, Mapplethorpe Grey, Hyperviolet...the list goes on, not to mention Natasha, and Mass and Volume. A large chunk of their music is groove oriented, heavy, and punchy. Just don’t get y’all panties in a bunch before you hear the rest of it. If you don’t like it, go listen Assück* or whatever you pussies deem to be acceptable forms of extreme music. As far as Blake is concerned, he’s a hype man, dirt monger, he adds a dynamic to the band that no other grind act has to offer. John Jarvis’ bass is a guttural masterpiece, adding nuclear fusion to an already ballistic masterpiece. Most of you know what I’m talking about, and the outliers will soak into the butt-core mainstream, dissolving away like saccharine in McDonalds tea. *Assück rules." [Sic]

Look, I'm not super keen on 'Army Of Cops' myself, but it's not a bad or terrible song either. Honestly, it's getting an unfair go. Find out where you draw your line in the sand on this Pig Destroyer song below. Just listen to it with an open mind.

PC: Joey Wharton Photography.