Stoner rock and metal are genres you either love or hate, almost irrespective of a band’s perceived quality or skill. It just doesn’t land for a lot of people despite a heavy focus on texture and melody that should merit at least a passable respect, if not praise. Still, even for established fans, it’s hard to find standout stuff sometimes.
England’s Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs have been a recent addition to the pantheon of stoned, psyched-out bands to watch, starting with their 2017 full-length debut, Feed the Rats. Even though I haven’t kept up with them since around that time, it was great to reconnect and find a band with more polish and boldness than what I remember.
Land Of Sleeper sees Pigsx7 wipe some of the grime off their sound. It still has some grit that gives it character, not to mention identity as a stoner metal band, but it’s fleshed out. The kind of fuzzy sound that’s best launched out of walls of amplifiers, mobile and energetic. Some exceptions exist, but most every track has a high-tempo, high-gear drive that’s very likable, though not quite loveable.
“Ultimate Hammer” exudes this attitude to its fullest in the form of a fiery opener. The vocals are big, pulling focus from most everything else on offer, but the guitars also don’t do too much out of the ordinary. That’s fine - not every track has to be a ripper - this just means the sum is better than its parts. “Pipe Down!” is a similar track with a bit of a gallop to its melody, and the vocals exhibit some more range while maintaining immense power. Drums are brolic, crashing hard and fast with agile fills and flourishes that color in the lines of the track.
Where Land of Sleeper really shines is in its more deliberate, atmospheric side. “The Weatherman” is huge and shambling, beastly with wailing guitars, yet ominous with the quiet vocal chants past the intro. At their admission, the band really gave into darker urges this time around to counter their earlier material and it’s songs like this where that’s abundantly clear and pays off. Closer “Ball Lightning” is similarly elephantine, but has more of a progressive body to it reminiscent of something like The Mars Volta with the shaky guitar tone and expression used here. The persistent poke of the piano is a nice touch too.
As good as all that is, my favorite is “Big Rig”, the song with the strongest instrumental presence. This is a riffs-first jammer that’s hard to beat, begging the question why it wasn’t a single. The ascending melodies of the verses being beaten down by the weighty hook is a natural highlight, showcasing Pigsx7’s penchant to go full doom heft when the time calls for it. And the catchy final act of the song layered with a burning solo? Chef’s kiss worthy. Luckily, it’s also one of the longest tracks on the album so you can savor it.
Land of Sleeper may not be converting any stoner haters any time soon, but the risks taken here are well worth the price of admission. It’s commendable that Pigsx7 bothered to do something different and flex their style muscles a bit - this helps them avoid the pigeonhole that bands like them get chased into often, and also shows that versatility can exist even among genre devotees. Show a friend or two! Maybe they’ll like it; if not, at least you tried.
Bottom line: While this may not be the highest quality shit you could get, it’s certainly more than serviceable and potent enough than the heaps of mid product out there. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs are growing, something other stoner metal bands seem reluctant to do. Is Land of Sleeper their dark horse moment? Probably not, but promise is abundant and the direction is good. It gets a 7 - one for each pig in the quintet’s name.
6 comments
Post CommentPosting a review this good for an audience this stupid is like throwing pearls before swine.
The name alone is more than enough for me not to listen.