originally written by Jim Brandon
Although I’m not alone in feeling that the word “brutal” has been used to the point where you almost can never use it in a review anymore due to having lost all power of the word, once in a while ever so rarely, it accurately fits. All Pigs Must Die is fucking brutal; absolutely, totally brutal. The punk/death/thrash bastard metal hybrid they expound lacks any sort of irony or hardcore punk humor, and why the hell not? Being pissed and being loud about it is the mantra for God Is War, and there is no middle ground on which to stand with it. If it’s not a percussive hammering raining down blows, we’re gifted with a tough-as-nails groove that rips through like a combine. I’m not even slightly surprised with the results of this collaboration, what with members of Bloodhorse, The Hope Conspiracy, and Converge involved, and it’s not a far reach from their other bands in spirit or form. Not a bad thing.
As stated, there is no respite. From guitar to drums, there is no escape from the constant barrage that takes hardcore and puts such a nasty spin onto its very primitive base. It’s a cold new murder, wrapped in a very well-aged bodybag, but the results are still the inevitable same. “The Blessed Void” just keeps attacking with a lurching sprint propelled by a throaty shout and a flurry of blastbeats, and the lumbering gait they take before erupting again to conclude the tune is heavy as shit gets. “Third World Genocide” puts an upbeat but entirely serious kick in their step, while “Pulverization” stays true to its word with a merciless assault on the eardrums. I must point out that even though this is well-grounded, easy to follow music, there is a notable push against sounding contrite or too Neanderthal in mannerisms here. If you’d call them three-chord wonders, you’d be doing them a disservice in the way they put those chords to use, with the crushing title track as a fair example of less being capable of so much more.
They even take things into a slow, deliberate but no less impactful route on the extensive closer “Sadistic Vindicator” and its nasty drawl, ending these events on a very uncomfortable and ponderous note. In between the ripping opener and the morose conclusion, All Pigs Must Die is so damn hateful, and so fucking true to form, that you can forgive any expansive shortcomings that inherently tag along with this particularly heavy style of crusty d-beat hardcore. So angry all the time, so unwilling to let you breathe, God Is War puts the still endless supply of swoopy-haired pussies in their rightful place, and gives us old-schoolers a damn good album to laugh along to while observing those asshats’ misfortune. Almost mandatory, and brutal as fuck.
