God is War

Album review

Some bands come together rather casually to, you know, rock out, like; others are already born on a mission, built to maim, kill, deeestrrrooooooooyyy!!! Based on their moniker, you get one guess as to which category Massachusetts' All Pigs Must Die falls into -- no need to peek at the group's 2011 debut album, God Is War, either. Clearly, vocalist Kevin Baker (ex-the Hope Conspiracy), guitarist Adam Wentworth, bassist Matt Woods (both of them formerly of Bloodhorse), and drummer Ben Koller (Converge) felt a strong sense of purpose (and maybe had a few axes to grind) when they entered the studio with Converge man Kurt Ballou, because they emerged with a group of songs just brimming with attitude and literally bursting with pent-up intensity. Some of these are pure, raging juggernauts ("Death Dealer," "The Blessed Void," the beastly "Sacrosanct," which packs a Lemmy-esque bass solo); others grind out their roaring, painful catharsis with the utmost in doom-like patience (the title track, "Third World Genocide"), and others mix and match both angles to great effect ("Pulverization," "Extinction Is Ours," Sadistic Vindicator"). But the consistent trait shared by all is that unwavering attitude and intensity mentioned above, and when you're dealing in a well-trodden, explored-to-the-limit musical style such as this one, that can be the difference maker between good and great. It is here. Just don't expect revolutionary new sounds because that's not what All Pigs Must Die is going for here; the fact they refused to hop on the crustcore bandwagon is commendable enough.

© Eduardo Rivadavia /TiVo