Head Cage is the sixth studio album by American grindcore band Pig Destroyer. The album was released on September 7, 2018 through Relapse Records.[12] The album features vocal cameos from Richard Johnson and Kat Katz from Agoraphobic Nosebleed, along with Dylan Walker from Full of Hell.[3]
| Head Cage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 7, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | December 2017 – February 2018 | |||
| Studio | Visceral Sound Studios (Bethesda, Maryland, United States) | |||
| Genre | Metalcore,[1] grindcore[2] | |||
| Length | 30:55 | |||
| Label | Relapse | |||
| Producer | Scott Hull | |||
| Pig Destroyer chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Head Cage | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 79/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [5] |
| Consequence of Sound | 7.5/10[6] |
| Exclaim! | 9/10[7] |
| MetalSucks | [8] |
| Pitchfork | 8.1/10[9] |
| Sputnikmusic | 8/10[10] |
| Metal Storm | 8.0/10[11] |
The band commented in an official description of Head Cage:
"Across twelve tracks, Pig Destroyer weave together harrowing tales of philosophical dualities, touching on mortality and depression, fear and violence, and the darkest complexities of the human condition, all told through the distorted lens of delightfully transgressive vocalist/lyricist JR Hayes."[3]
Background
editIt is the band's only album with bassist John Jarvis in their line-up, and the last to feature Blake Harrison, who would leave in 2022 and die in 2024. MetalSucks called the album an "immediate frontrunner for the best metal album of 2018."[13] The band released a teaser for the album on June 27, 2018.[14][15]
Reception
editAccolades
edit| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decibel | Decibel's Top 40 Albums of 2018 | 10
|
Track listing
editAll lyrics are written by J. R. Hayes; all music is composed by Scott Hull
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tunnel Under the Tracks" | 1:21 |
| 2. | "Dark Train" | 1:11 |
| 3. | "Army of Cops" | 3:18 |
| 4. | "Circle River" | 2:45 |
| 5. | "The Torture Fields" | 2:55 |
| 6. | "Terminal Itch" | 1:13 |
| 7. | "Concrete Beast" | 3:21 |
| 8. | "The Adventures of Jason and JR" | 2:12 |
| 9. | "Mt. Skull" | 1:37 |
| 10. | "Trap Door Man" | 1:15 |
| 11. | "The Last Song" | 2:40 |
| 12. | "House of Snakes" | 7:07 |
| Total length: | 30:55 | |
Personnel
editPig Destroyer
- J. R. Hayes – lead vocals
- Scott Hull - guitars
- John Jarvis – bass, gang vocals
- Blake Harrison - noise, samples, gang vocals
- Adam Jarvis – drums, gang vocals
Additional musicians
- Richard Johnson − guest vocals (track 3), gang vocals
- Kat Katz − guest vocals (tracks 6, 7)
- Jason Hodges − guest vocals (track 8)
- Dylan Walker − noise (track 11)
- Aaron "Baron" Kirkpatrick − gang vocals
Production
- Scott Hull − recording
- Will Putney − mixing, mastering
- Mark McCoy − artwork, layout
- Mark Valentino − photography
Charts
edit| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[17] | 146 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[18] | 100 |
References
edit- ^ "Pig Destroyer : Head Cage". 11 September 2018.
- ^ "PIG DESTROYER: 'Army Of Cops' Video Released; 'Head Cage' Album Due In September". 10 July 2018.
- ^ a b c "Pig Destroyer Announce 'Head Cage' Album + Unleash New Song". Loudwire. 10 July 2018.
- ^ "Reviews for Head Cage by Pig Destroyer". Metacritic. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ Thomas, Fred. "Head Cage - Pig Destroyer". AllMusic. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ Hickman, Langdon (September 11, 2018). "Pig Destroyer - Head Cage". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ Falzon, Denise (September 7, 2018). "Pig Destroyer Head Cage". Exclaim!. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ Rosenburg, Axl (September 7, 2018). "Album Review: Pig Destroyer's Head Cage Will Free Your Mind". MetalSucks. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ Currin, Grayson (September 10, 2018). "Pig Destroyer: Head Cage Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ Freeman, Channing (September 7, 2018). "Review: Pig Destroyer - Head Cage". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ "Review: Pig Destroyer - Head Cage". Metal Storm. October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ^ "Pig Destroyer Confirm "Head Cage" Album for September Release - Decibel Magazine". 14 May 2018.
- ^ "Pig Destroyer Announce New Album, Head Cage - MetalSucks". 14 May 2018.
- ^ "Pig Destroyer Releases Album Teaser for Head Cage - MetalSucks". 27 June 2018.
- ^ "PIG DESTROYER Tease New Album, Head Cage". 27 June 2018.
- ^ Mudrian, Albert (15 November 2018). "SPOILER: Here Are Decibel's Top 40 Albums of 2018". Decibel. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Pig Destroyer – Head Cage" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2018.