Phantom Limb

Total, uncompromising destruction seems to be Pig Destroyer's aim. On Phantom Limb, the band defiantly succeeds in making its particular brand of noise a step above the legions of other bland noise bands out there. So, what makes Pig Destroyer so much better than your average grindcore band? Well, for one thing, they have guitarist extraordinaire Scott Hull — and each burst of energy this band calls "songs" is littered with freakishly complex ax lines that dazzle as much as they destroy. On the longer tracks, Hull cranks out midpaced riff chugs — and though Pig Destroyer doesn't have a bass player, Hull tunes his guitars down to the point where any more low-end would leave one deaf before the second track. Drummer Brian Harvey — who also deserves a fair share of credit — is the counterpoint to his brother's six-string insanity and together, the pair succeed in totally boggling the mind. Finally, there's vocalist J.R. Hayes. Not only can he scream until he's blue but he's got a command of metal poetry as well. On each track, Hayes screams out stories of insanity and morbid lust. Hell, just reading the lyric sheet is disturbing. (But if you're into this kind of metal, you like disturbing, right?) And yet the songs have appeal that goes beyond just their complexity and creepiness. Luckily Pig Destroyer's not just flaunting their technical skill; they're trying to write songs. The end result is one of the tightest releases of an extreme metal band thus far in the form's history.

Kent Alexander writes about music for Metro Times. Send comments to letters@metrotimes.com.