Brash and heavy, Pigs x7 return with their noisy metal charms intact. For first-time listeners, harsher tones are key. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs find themselves as a lighter style of stoner rock, a neat entry for those that have yet to experience the darker side. Even then, Land of Sleeper remains as a relentless, powerful piece to further stretch those artistic talents. Opener Ultimate Hammer is just that. An ultimate track, an incredible first piece to set the scene with slick guitar solos and a gorgeous bit of heavy rock and metal that pushes on the core values of the genre while sticking to a charged, unique quality not found in other, contemporary bands of the same crowd.
Pigs x7 hit their audience with an excellent contrast on that first piece. Loud and aggressive playing translates that passionate core to a room full of, if the music video is anything to go by, the few left listening to sub-genre rock. Grunge-like flickers from low guitar notes and lingering vocal moments from Matthew Baty give Terror’s Pillow that powerful agony. Pigs x7 are reliant on that. Slight leanings toward psychedelic rock form through the flow of Sam Grant’s work here, a core staple of Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs’ sound and valuable, modern-day power rock. Big Rig jabs and strikes at the filthy English towns through some unfocused lyrical positions, again brought together through the metal instrumentals. They decide the tone, not Baty.
Precedence is given to the guitar work almost always. Doing so gives way to the aim of Land of Sleeper, a consolidation of their sound so far and a reminder of their consistencies. Opening confident rock to wider audiences through their flowing, loud but approachable guitar licks, which surge through and flutter close to doom metal and explosive riffs, is the key. Experimentation claws at cult-like tones on The Weatherman, a brutal bit of sinister, Black Sabbath-like clutches at darker tones. Handlebar porn ‘staches, Lemmy-looking fellas blasting through with powerful imagery and even stronger playing. That is what it is all about. Pigs x7 have hammered that through with consistency and continue that run of good form on Land of Sleeper. A double bill of Pipe Down! and Atlas Stone give that styling a further, acceptable push.
Land of Sleeper is not the forward-pushing stunner that Pigs x7 are capable of, it is much more important than that. Ball Lightning and those drumming interjections, the unity of the band, is cemented with absolute clarity that brings Pigs x7 consistency. Heavy rock tones shuffled and stylised over a solid forty minutes. Nothing wrong with that, and for much of Land of Sleeper, the preparation for some forward push, some huge ignition further down the line, can be heard. Squeaking, rough guitar tones close out the album with that grand sway all good rock tracks have. Pigs x7 have proven they can do it with good form and constant interpretation. Providing evidence of that was not necessary, but Land of Sleeper is a confident showcase of what the band does best.
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