Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, or Pigs x7 to you and I, are a sound from a bygone era. Currently riding a wave which includes a sold-out show at The Hope & Ruin in November, the Rocket Recordings signees have released another early metal-styled record in the vein of Black Sabbath with enough lyrical and technical nuance to straddle it into a new era. A six-track hit of early metal, prog and a dose of devilish influences make Pigs x7 one of the most interesting cult bands around at the moment. King of Cowards is a fiendish, yet seductive, journey into the world of heavy metal and arguably, one of the most accessible metal records for a long while.

Opening with ‘Gnt’, which stars folk-hero and friend of the band Richard Dawson as part of the vocal choir, it’s an escalating and spiralling rhythmic display that dazzles and shocks in equal measure. Likewise, ‘Shockmaster’ showcases a terrific, almost hard rock style opening with an exceptional rise and fall that descends into the heaviest and most vocally hoarse track on the record. ‘A66’, meanwhile, features an ear-deafening, dynamic drum beat, and is an energetic number that once again galvanizes the record into a far bigger beast. In terms of consistency and record tempo, this is another fine addition for Pigs x7. Pulsating and frenetic, Pigs x7, after just two albums, have mastered putting a record together.

The best track of the lot comes from ‘Thumbsucker’. At over seven-minutes long, it’s a heavily developed, intricate, and subtle track that gets better with every listen. Like most of the tracks on the record, it’s a colossal monster that grows, escalates and develops with each ticking second. Meanwhile, lead single and shortest track ‘Cake of Light’ is a stuttering, blues-influenced number at the start, before a raucous climactic finale. As far as timing and technicality goes, this is as good as it gets.

Lead vocalist and writer Matt Baty is on fine form here, too, as he lyrically traverses the seven deadly sins in a way that feels organic and consistent, rather than similar themes from the genre. There’s definitely a Black Sabbath connection here, so much so that they could easily change their name to War Pigs x7 with no issues and, like Black Sabbath’s earlier work, this is a throbbing, harmonious record that offers up enough thrills, spills and scares to both delight, satisfy and righteously entertain throughout. This is not going to be for everyone, but arguably the biggest and best cult band around at the moment have offered up another slice of dynamic rock and roll that will please their fans immensely.

Liam McMillen

Website: pigsx7.co.uk
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