Review: Pig – 'The Gospel'

PIG

'The Gospel'

METROPOLIS RECORDS

Rebooted, renewed, and regenerated, “The Lord of Lard” Raymond Watts returns with his celebrated musical vehicle Pig. On the back of lauded collaborations with Primitive Race and MC Lord Of the Flies (AKA Marc Heal) Watts has dropped tantalising tastes of what to expect on his recent 'Diamond Sinners' EP but long-time fans are finally rewarded with the first fully-fledged Pig album since 'Pigmata' over ten years ago.

'The Gospel' is eleven prime cuts of pork opening with the slow and demonic groove of 'The Diamond Sinners' which sets the pace for the majority of the album. Songs such as 'Toleration Or Truth', 'Drugzilla', 'Viva Evil', 'I'm So Wrong' and, 'Make Yourself Deny' give the album a strong backbone by blending industrial electronics, alternative rock, and of course Watts' own twist on what the audience will be expecting from the project. The end result is a loving update of Watts early shaping of the industrial rock genre.

'The Gospel' loses the orchestral samples many long-time fans will be expecting, but by adding talents such as Z. Marr, and Mark Thwaite, En Esch, and Marc Heal to the Pig pen, the album has a fresh, updated, and most of all relevant sound that keeps the bombastic atmosphere that epitomised the classics of the discography. An impressive feat by any standard after such a long hiatus.

The production as you'd expect is first rate. 'The Gospel' walks a fine line between the grime and grunge of the band's Nothing and Wax Trax! Years, without sounding dated or retro. The songs are powerful, sultry, seedy, and even a little jazzy at times. And the production pulls out the best in them. This is especially evident in tracks that have already seen the light of day such as 'Drugzilla' which sounds far more complete than on the 'Compound Eye Sessions' release.

'The Gospel' is a long overdue, but very welcome return from one of industrial rock's unquestioned pioneers. Watts honours the core of the Pig sound that endeared the band to the industrial rock scene, but lovingly builds on its legacy in order to secure its future. With the genre undergoing somewhat of a revival, it is only fitting that Watts returns to show the new wave just how things should be done.  

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