August 10, 2026

PIG – The Merciless Light (Album – Metropolis Records)

PIG – "The Merciless Light" album cover
🇺🇦 Side-Line stands with Ukraine - Show your Support

Genre/Influences: Industrial.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Raymond Watts has written this new PIG album during the ongoing pandemic. He got some help from precious and long-time collaborators En Esch and Steve White while  Jim Davies (Pitchshifter, The Prodigy ao) joined in as well.

Content: Twelve songs of typical Industrial power, mixing guitar riffs with electronics, this work of course will make you think of KMFDM. But Watts takes us by surprise achieving softer -and even cabaret-like cuts.

+ + + : The sound universe of PIG is one familiar for fans of KMFDM, Pitchshifter and co. A dark, Industrial sound in which Watts excels. His passionate vocals -sometimes reminding me to early Nick Cave, are totally matching with the violent sound whereon you’ll also notice subtle, sound arrangements. “The Dark Room” and “Tarantula” both are brilliant pieces but I also have to mention the solid opener “No Yes More Less” and “Obliteration Liberation” for its elevating sensation.

– – – : PIG stands for great music although it became a bit more predictable throughout the years.

Conclusion: PIG sounds dirty and passionate, evil and merciless!

Best songs: “The Dark Room”, “Tarantula”, “No Yes More Less”, “Obliteration Liberation”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/pigindustries

Label: www.metropolis-records.com / www.facebook.com/MetropolisRecords Read the news on ‘The Merciless Light’.

About PIG

PIG is the long-running industrial rock project of English musician Raymond Watts. Watts launched the project in the late 1980s after earlier work with KMFDM, Einstürzende Neubauten, Psychic TV, Foetus, Schaft, and Schwein.

The first PIG release was “A Poke in the Eye… with a Sharp Stick” in 1988. It was followed by “Praise the Lard” in 1991, “A Stroll in the Pork” in 1992, “The Swining” in 1993, “Sinsation” in 1995, “Wrecked” in 1996, and “Genuine American Monster” in 1999. After “Pigmartyr” in 2004, released under Watts’ name and later reissued as “Pigmata”, the project returned with “The Gospel” in 2016 and “Risen” in 2018.

Watts recorded “The Merciless Light” with longtime collaborators En Esch and Steve White, joined by Jim Davies (Pitchshifter, The Prodigy). The album followed “Candy” (2019) and “Pain Is God” (2020), and was released via Metropolis Records in 2022.

Since you’re here …

… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can - and we refuse to add annoying advertising. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.

If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The donations are safely powered by Paypal.

Select a Donation Option (USD)

Enter Donation Amount (USD)