PIG – The Merciless Light (Album – Metropolis Records)
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.
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
