Review Summary: Death Hilarious sees Newcastle's Pigsx7 perfecting a formula that has worked for them on previous releases. Their execution is especially on point here, resulting in the meatiest and most cohesive album they've released to date.
I stand by what I said before.
"There aren’t too many heavy hitting groups that can take their music seriously without taking themselves too seriously. Pigsx7 is part of that rare and fun breed. They describe themselves as 'Britain’s only and worst Queen tribute' yet play original doom metal. Most of their songs are in the same key and, oddly, their singer rarely ever changes pitch. Yet ultimately, they make it all work with songwriting prowess, quirky energy, and rhythmically creative grooves (not to mention a healthy saturation of big boy facial hair). It all makes for a uniquely formidable metal act with staying power."
The above paragraph was how I described Newcastle's Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs on Instagram after seeing them live for the first time at NYC's Mercury Lounge back in 2023 (that evening's performance was later released as a live record). Low and behold, one of the handful of folks that liked my post was a familiar mustachioed face: Adam Ian Sykes, the band's lead guitarist. That this singular like is probably the coolest social media moment of my life probably says something about me. But more importantly, it also speaks to Sykes' sincerity and thoughtfulness as an artist. Indeed - Pigsx7 have already proven themselves to be far more than a goofy porcine name. Yes, there *are* seven pigs in the name despite the band being a quintet. No, I will not type the full band name beyond that obligatory first time. You'll have to live with Pigsx7, 'seven swine,' and whatever other bacon references I can bake in.
The formula that I described on Insta remains highly relevant on Death Hilarious, their fifth studio LP and second full-length release since reuniting with original drummer Ewan Mackenzie. Their previous record, Land of Sleeper, saw them develop more clarity in the aforementioned songwriting formula. On Death Hilarious, they've continued to perfect and hone that formula. Moreover, the execute it as effectively as they ever have. Simply put, Death Hilarious is the dirtiest, fattest, meatiest, and most cohesive overall album release that these English oinkers have offered.
After a high-energy, high-speed opener, the band starts jetting out into more rhythmically elaborate song-structures. "Detroit" is an off-kilter 12-beat sludge factory with an inviting drum backbone. There is a dirtiness and togetherness to the string harmonies that makes them especially appealing here, in part because the band is so locked in. This is especially impressive - yet easy to overlook - when they are transitioning between different tempos *and* time signatures. There's a reason classics like Nirvana's "Aneurysm" and Dinasour Jr.'s "Feel The Pain" have staying power; few things in music are as awesome as a loud rock band executing challenging rhythmic transitions in perfect synchrony.
"Stitches" feels like a perfect embodiment of the band's songwriting formula. Musically, a clever and catchy swinging doom metal riff gives way to slower breakdowns in a different time signatures. Again, the 'seven swine' make these rhythmic and tempo changes worthwhile by virtue of how in-the-pocket they are. "Stitches" also highlights another critical part of the band's musical formula: vocalist Matt Baty. Everything about Baty's musical presence and lyrical delivery is unorthordox. His singing often feels more like chanting, his growl is almost identical to his non-growl, and he rarely changes notes. Yet he makes it all work. Baty is at his finest as a live frontman, where his stage presence combines the energy of Wrestlemania with quirky and clever satire (Zappa would be proud). But there's also real growth to his poetry on Death Hilarious, allowing lyrical imagery to take more of a center stage at times. Baty keeps messaging purposefully opaque, allowing listeners to explore the mud-baths of each lyrical sty on their own. While in-depth exploration is required for deeper meaning, there are many vague thematic ideas that provide a formidable skeletal structure to the poetry, making it effective on multiple levels. One such idea in "Stitches" is the very process of infusing comedy into otherwise-dark thematic content: "I made a friend the other day, his banter cracks me up; Split down the sides, I start to cry, in stitches but bleeding out."
Another poetic peak of the record is "Glib Tongued," which paints a dark and desolate picture of nationalism - seemingly comparing it to the false promises of a crooked carnival game. Again, instead of providing clarity on the issue, the song's poetry lies in how well it muddies its own waters. El-P's guest appearance adds some crafty lines to this effort, and his masterful delivery (along with its masterful production) is reminiscent of an old-world huckster. In general, Baty's near-monotonic lyrical delivery lends itself well to guest singers of virtually any style. There's certainly a whimsical aspect to the rapping here - perhaps just because of how rare it is in metal music by bands not named Rage Against The Machine ("Glib Tongued" isn't as whimsical as Korn's nü-metal collaboration with Ice Cube, but it's whimsical enough to belong in that discussion). Here, the band smarty embraces that quality via the dark carnie/huckster vibes.
Mackenzie's drumming prowess is also a defining part of Death Hilarious. His style lends itself well to this genre. It's not so much of a metal drumming style - more of a power pop rock style. But that can work incredibly well - think QoTSA-era Dave Grohl. At times, the swinging rhythms demand a slightly more delicate jazz sensibility. In these moments, Mackenzie summons another clear influence: Ringo Starr (in a good way, obviously). And his use of tom-heavy shuffle patterns throughout the album feels like a backroom butcher steadily and forcefully hitting fine loins with a sturdy meat mallet.
An excellent record demands an excellent ending. And Death Hilarious delivers, with three of its finest songs rounding out the album's final 18 minutes. The three-headed string monster of Sykes, Hedley, and Grant, takes center stage throughout these tracks. Ultimately, their consistent ability to play in the pocket together forms the band's main attraction. It should also be noted that there's a nastiness to their harmonic layering on this record that ups the grime ante from previous efforts. As a triumvirate, they walk an impressive tightrope of dirty harmonies and impeccable rhythmic synchrony.
"Carousel," which might be the highlight of the album, weaves militaristic lyrical themes into a jam that is groovy enough to warrant "War Pigs" comparisons -- besides, you know, the war thing and the pigs thing. It also features a hauntingly screechy instrument effect that is highly reminiscent of Luca Mai's bari sax in the Italian avant-garde metal band Zu.
The closer "Toecurler" is a fitting synopsis of everything that these 'seven swine' (or is it five swine?) do especially well. Nasty guitar riffs snarl into deep-cutting swing grooves with the sharpness of meat hooks. Meanwhile, Baty delivers hauntingly opaque lyrics which reference a rather unsavory alter-ego: "Still Mr. Doppelganger tells me I'll never do; His deprecation sends me sideways; Watch out for him." The production adds to the poetry effectively - a combo delay/reverb effect on the vocals sounds nearly infinite and fittingly creeps behind Baty's voice like the macabre shadow figure he describes. It's just one of countless examples of extraordinary attention to production detail on Death Hilarious.
Not everything on Death Hilarious is juicy loin, but there's really only one short track which feels like discardable gristle. "Collider" revolves around a singular repeating riff which - to its credit - offers a unique timbre compared to the rest of the album. But apart from some nifty soloing by Sykes as the song winds down, it's largely devoid of musical transitions, which works against the band's strengths. Nothing else on Death Hilarious is discardable per se, but it should also be noted that there's quite a bit of recycled meat product here. Not only are musical and rhythmic ideas recycled throughout the album; some of these are recycled from previous releases. In particular, one formula for a rhythmic breakdown that the band uses frequently is a slow 9-count (three threes) with an arbitrary number of extra beats tacked on to the end. It's a neat pattern that the band has executed effectively on numerous occasions (including "Terror's Pillow" from their last record). While there's nothing wrong with delivering variations on a solid theme, that's ultimately what several of the album's breakdowns feel like. Fortunately, Death Hilarious offers just enough new musical ideas to make any 'rehashed' patterns feel more like familiar friends than frustrated filler. Sort of like a string of tasty street hot dogs and mystery-meat sausages tying the chops, pork belly, and bacon together.
At the end of the day, Death Hilarious is largely the same Pigsx7 that we've heard on previous releases, but with a little more meat packed into nearly every part of its packaging - a recognizable swine, yes, but one that is wiser, fatter, smarter, and better at rolling around in the muddiest of sties. If you're a fan of bacon, Bacon, and/or Black Sabbath, you'll appreciate it. If you're a fan of all three, it might even make your ears salivate.
4.1 out of 5 stars
