When I was in college, I did a lot of things I’m not proud of. I’ll spare you the details because, quite frankly, they aren’t that interesting, but I will say that during every second of this debauchery you can bet your fucking ass that All Pigs Must Die was blaring in the background. This band has special place in my liver, and when I had nothing to live for and nothing to believe in, APMD were (and still are) my church, and every Friday night I’d let the spite-filled pipes of Kevin Baker preach the gospel of misanthropy. For those who don’t know, APMD is composed of members of the Hope Conspiracy, Converge, Bloodhorse and now, Trap Them with the addition of Brian Izzi on second guitar. The band has grown more with every release and continues to combine all things fast, dark, and heavy into their music without being a walking cliché. Their newest release, Hostage Animal, which will spawn via Southern Lord on October 27th, is no exception. This album has no brakes, no gimmicks, and it will cleanse your mortal ears of their innocence whether you like it or not.
Southern Lord Oct. 27th
[youtube id=”Of3lsM6xNsg”]
Hostage Animal comes out swinging and takes you on a punishing journey to every end of the extreme music spectrum. APMD straight up force-feed their victims lethal doses of riffage, as the band has truly outdone themselves. Adam Wentworth and Brain Izzi are the undisputed HM2 gods of modern metal. Ben Koller beats his drums like he caught them breaking into is house, Matt Woods makes the fat strings ache and Kevin Baker tops it all off unrelenting and unforgiving vocals. What has always made APMD one of the heaviest bands is their ability to transition from various tempos with ease. Tracks like “Hostage Animal,” “Meditation of Violence,” and “Blood Wet Teeth” absolutely tear through various tempos and will make you feel like you just ran a circle pit marathon. Conversely, it’s tracks like “Slave Morality,” “End Without End,” and “Heathen Reign” that incorporate hardcore, death and doom-influenced breakdowns as well as melodic and atmospheric guitar parts to transport listeners to new dimensions of pain. Ultimately, this album is everything you want in a hardcore/metal/punk release. It is punishing and abrasive, yet soothing and melodic. Hostage Animal is an absolute ripper you’ll want to be buried with – best stop what your doing and go modify your will.
