PIG DESTROYER is a DMV-based (DC, Maryland, Virginia) grindcore band formed by guitarist Scott Hull. Over a 20 year period, PD has pushed the envelope of your straight forward grindcore sound, moving on to explore death, doom, sludge, thrash and elaborate drones and noise thanks to the addition of Blake Harrison for the 2007 album "Phantom Limb."  It may very well be that varying lineup changes are what has made PD what they are today – most notably the changeover from the explosive Brian Harvey to a more intense and controlled Adam Jarvis, joining up for "Book Burner" in 2012. With every album, the evolution of this now quintet is unfailingly a sight to behold, and more so with the acquisition of John Jarvis in 2013, "Head Cage" marking the first PIG DESTROYER album with a bass player, and the upgrade is well noticed, providing an intense back bone to their overall sound with rumbling rhythm on "Terminal Itch" and a thrashy flair on "Mt. Skull."

After a brief intro with layered samples that the grinders have become known for, the 32 minutes ear assault explodes into a fury of blast beats, thrashy grooves and the signature frenzied screaming of JR on "Dark Train." The one minute pummeling seems to show JR reflecting on everything previous, lyrically, we are left with a man still highly dissatisfied and searching for other ways to tame the beast inside. "Army of Cops" is a blatant middle finger to our men in blue, which is refreshing for a band with lyrical content that focuses on brutalizing women yet has a name that insinuates a much more deserving victim of their animosity. Easily the most catchy song on the album, the track features the usual guest vocals of Richard "Grindfather" Johnston of AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED. The pure blitzkrieg of a song stack brutal riffs against catchy hooks and ends with disgusting groove that will stick in ones mind for days. The song explores the overall theme of the album, that we as a society like a boot on our neck – being oppressed may just be the default for our unfortunate species. "The Torture Fields" is quite literally what the name entails, a field of thrashy, headbangable riffs that transitions seamlessly to the much craved grindage. The lyrical content shows that the bloodlust knows no end, your straightforward slasher of a song, littered with sociopathic undertones. "Terminal Itch" once more shows the diversity of the quintet, with a one minute beatdown with a death metal flair that is enhanced thanks to the vocals of Kat Katz of AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED. Like the name entails, "The Adventures of Jason and JR" is a duet between JR and Jason Hodges (SUPRESSION, BROWN PISS), an absurdly comical tale featuring thrashy passages that documents the two on their way to an IRON LUNG show, only to be hindered by the likes of Dick Cheney, the FBI, Michael Ironside, the Illuminati and for some reason a Swedish lesbian commando team.

"The Last Song" shows off more of the newly acquired bass, with a dirty, chunky sounding rhythm to start off a truly tormenting song. The lyrics show that the narrator has not quite moved on from the heartbreak of his past but has found solace in hoping for the best for his past lover, not acting out in anger or violence, but instead recognizing the wounds may never heal, no matter the recourse. The penultimate track features grooves that leave the listener with a feeling of impending doom, which is fitting for an album that ends with quite possibly one of the greatest doom metal songs of this year. Blake Harrison shines quite well on this beast of a track, his sampling and sound effects an ever atmospheric backdrop to the seven minute hall of terror, with lyrics telling of a detective on a 60 year old cold case that turns out to be the work of a group of snakes.

The evolution of PIG DESTROYER has shown the band exploring varying tastes of the metal genre and while purists may not like the departure from the the straightforward grind of ¨Prowler in the Yard,¨ the five-piece have arguably released their most diverse album to date that cannot go ignored and even for a grind-head like this reviewer, the album instantly shot up to top three PD albums upon listening. They have matured in every sense of the word and if it's not for the sound alone, at least check this one out for thematic reasons, which delve into the folly of man and the inability to be happy, fascism, crime, and getting attacked by Jetpack Dick Cheney.