Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs

English rock collective Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, abbreviated as PIGSx7, fuse acid rock, psych-metal, doom, and stoner elements into a dense morass of riffs and ominous roars. Evoking an encounter between Black Sabbath and Hawkwind fueled by particularly harsh psychedelics, the band produces a robust, forceful style that accommodates sonic exploration alongside massive guitar riffs, although the crushing weight of their approach dominates proceedings. Their first full-length, Feed the Rats from 2017, centered on extended pieces, with two of its three tracks exceeding fifteen minutes. When they recorded Viscerals in 2020 and Land of Sleeper in 2023, the compositions grew shorter while the band’s ferocious, pounding energy remained undiminished.

Originating in Newcastle upon Tyne, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs came together through vocalist Matt Baty, guitarists Sam Grant and Adam Ian Sykes, bassist John-Michael Hedley, and drummer Ewan Mackenzie. Drawing from Black Sabbath and Monster Magnet, the group shares an affinity for volume with peers Part Chimp and Hey Colossus. They released a split single with Glasgow’s the Cosmic Dead in 2013, contributing only “The Wizard and the Seven Swines” before any further official material appeared four years later. Their debut album Feed the Rats, issued by Rocket Recordings in 2017, contained three tracks totaling more than forty minutes. In May of that year Ewan Mackenzie departed and Christopher Morley took over on drums. The band toured Europe and the United Kingdom behind the record, delivering their intense, Sabbath-inspired noise-rock assault. During breaks, Baty operated Box Records, home to Terminal Cheesecake, Lower Slaughter, and Luminous Bodies, and performed with Hedley in Richard Dawson’s live ensemble, while Grant established Blank Studios. In 2018 the group used those facilities to track their second album. Engineered by John Martindale and Grant, King of Cowards appeared again on Rocket Recordings and delivered another substantial dose of crushing noise.

As Pigsx7 gained recognition in rock press, they advanced beyond the underground circuit, booking bigger rooms and filling dates throughout the United Kingdom. In 2019 they captured their stage intensity once more under a self-imposed tight schedule, resulting in the concise yet still abrasive and colossal Viscerals, released by Rocket Recordings in April 2020. Already known for eardrum-shattering volume and erratic stage presence, the band explored even murkier territory on their fourth album, Land of Sleeper, in 2023.