Chiming In The Low End: Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Delve Into 'Death Hilarious'

Photo: David Hall

The only way Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs could get any heavier than they do on their fifth album ‘Death Hilarious’ would be if they borrowed Spinal Tap’s amps and cranked them all the way to 11. “We wanted it to be a slap in the face,” says guitarist and producer Sam Grant. Well, they nailed it.

Whereas 2023’s ‘Land Of Sleeper’ saw their Sabbath-esque riffage juxtaposed with more atmospheric, experimental and contemplative moments, their new LP manages to capture lightning in a bottle by accurately channelling the Newcastle band’s pummelling, captivating stage presence. Here you will find doomy, molten guitar lines that bob and weave effortlessly alongside frontman Matt Baty, whose already dynamic performances have stepped up a gear this time round. 

His gut-wrenching wail is as impressive as ever on Collider and closer Toecurler, but with a sense of movement in his delivery propelling things forward, plus the occasional ad-lib, it’s as close to their live experience as you’re going to get without getting yourself to a gig or, failing that, watching a KEXP session from 2023 that has racked up more than a million views.

“I’ve got so much more to my arsenal now,” Baty says. “It’s a weird thing because when we started  I’d never been a vocalist in a band. I was a drummer, and to a large degree I still class myself as a drummer. But I think what’s interesting about the journey is that I do feel like with each release there’s something that I’ve learned from the last, or from touring.

“Over the amount of shows we’ve done since we started the band my voice has got stronger and I’ve always found new ways to use it. With each album it feels like you are joining me on this journey, of finding new ways to control my voice. It is quite exciting for me.”

Helping in their pursuit of an outright sonic assault, on songs such as The Wyrm Pigsx7 brilliantly tap into the sort of driving, raw energy that lit up 2020’s ‘Viscerals’. Not by accident, as it turns out. “Speaking for myself, a couple of the ideas I had that became tracks on the album were ones from ‘Viscerals’ [era] that I’ve had sitting around for years,” admits lead guitarist Adam Ian Sykes. “We toured so much in 2023 that, at least myself and Johnny [Hedley, bass], didn’t have enough headspace to write beforehand, which led to us dipping into archival stuff that we each had. Sam’s ideas were a bit fresher, I think.”

Explaining their return to more raucous form following ‘Land Of Sleeper’, he continues: “I think having presented some of those more contemplative, slower, darker pieces, that maybe we all felt like we’d scratched that itch and so returned to our other mode.”

The whole of ‘Death Hilarious’ plays out like a perfect set, and it’s something that was completely intentional on Grant’s part. “I go into each record, both in the writing and particularly with the production, wanting the shape and the vibe to be a certain way,” he says. “More specifically, a variation or change on where the previous record may have been. More so with the production, too. It’s super helpful to know where the character is going to be directed, and then decisions in the recording and mixing process can be informed by that throughout.”

Grant knew the clagginess of the darker, more bass-heavy ‘Land Of Sleeper’ wouldn’t work for the arrangements they’d hit upon for the new record — they were moving in a different direction even if they remained wholeheartedly committed to retaining their impactful wall of noise. “I had a really clear idea in my head that I wanted the album to sound glassy or crystalline,” he says. “Almost chiming in the low end.”

“It’s obviously really hard to use words to convey these kinds of abstract thoughts with sound,” he continues. “But the production was definitely aimed at being more immediate, up front and direct. I drove the preamps a lot. We’ve just got an API console in the studio, which has a particular colour, and dealing with transients, which has really helped reach the goal for the sound of this record. I’m super happy with it, it’s definitely doing what I set out to achieve, which is rewarding.”

For Sykes, though, it was business as usual: lots of saturated fuzz and maybe just a tad more overdrive. It was the introduction of synth and piano in places where he would usually be called on for a solo that really took things into new territory sonically. “It not only gives me less to think about, but it did a different job on the album,” he admits. “There are only so many notes on a scale, but the same notes on a synth sound different.”

Grant was responsible for the idea and their performance on the record. “I think it's maybe as much a question as to why there were less on previous records, given we’ve always incorporated synths into our live set,” he parries when asked about utilising it more.“I do really like the mood change a synth does over, say, a guitar solo. The synth is so much more regimented and solid a texture, it can put the mood into a very different space while still pushing the sonics. 

“It’s also so flexible an instrument in terms of what it can do sound-wise, so it doesn't ever detract and can match the palette of a track really effectively. We often have instrumental sections, and the compulsion is to go with Adam and a guitar solo. So, an added benefit is that when we do then go to a guitar, given there are maybe fewer moments across the record, they have a little more importance or levity to them.”

Another unexpected move on ‘Death Hilarious’ came in the form of a guest spot by Run The Jewels rapper El-P on Glib Tongued, a song brought to the table by Hedley. “That sounds like a hip hop track,” Sykes and Grant told him from the get-go, but he was adamant that was not how he envisaged it. It wasn’t until drummer Ewan Mackenzie, Sykes and Grant started jamming it out that he heard it too. 

With Hedley on board with his track’s new direction, attention turned to who could feature on it. “We had a shortlist of people to ask to guest on it, and right at the top of that list was El-P, never imagining that it would happen,” Sykes laughs. “But we managed to reach out via a mutual friend and for some reason he said yes.” 

Those were the lyrics that came the easiest to the album. Back in Newcastle, Baty had hit a wall with an empty notepad and a recording looming. “One thing about the anxiety around writing the lyrics for this album, I found that it was a blocker,” he says. “I was trying to force things out. I was freaking out because the date was getting closer and closer, and still I wasn’t happy with what I’d done. There were these really negative voices: ‘You can’t do this anymore. You’ve got nothing worthwhile to express or to say. This is it.’ 

“[But] I realised this is the way I’m feeling, so I’m going to lean into that. I’m going to give this voice an avenue to express itself, and as soon as I did that I suddenly felt more in control. Instead of them being a block to the creative process I felt like I was riding them a bit. I got on the saddle somewhat and I was controlling them a bit more, which in itself felt like a really, really beautiful thing.” 

Sykes gets it, too, but his take is perhaps a little more hard-nosed and drily lacerating. “We all struggle,” he says. “We call ourselves pirates because we feel like we have conned a lot of people into believing we’re competent. We all have a lot of imposter syndrome, and we’ve never managed to shake that. Maybe that’s not a bad thing — I’d hate for it to be the opposite.”

“Lyrics are a little bit more exposed,” he ponders a little later. “So I think he [Baty] may feel that more than any of us, because you can’t hide behind anything, you can’t hide behind the mix.”

The fact that Baty has to put himself all the way out there every night is a double edged sword — it is a vulnerable place to be but also an avenue for release. “I think the great thing about this band is that it has always afforded me to express myself on quite an existential level,” he admits. “I suppose the energy of the music, as well, propels me in that direction. From a young age, I’ve never really been particularly good at articulating the way I might be feeling. As soon as I started being in bands I was like, ‘Finally, this is my way of expressing emotion.’

“It’s also just releasing those pent up emotions. Music and being in bands has been a healthy way for me to do that, rather than talking about it. And, you know, talking about it is a lovely thing, but I do struggle with it at times. I’m blessed to have so many talented people around me that can facilitate these platforms for me to be able to express myself .”

Pigsx7 will soon support ‘Death Hilarious’ with a UK and European tour in April and May, followed by North American shows throughout the summer. “Our minds are usually so focused on the tour that sometimes we forget to rehearse as much as we should,” reveals Sykes. “This time round we’ve been rehearsing a lot. It really helps us to get excited.” 

For those wondering what to expect? Yes, it’s still going to be as loud as ever. “It’s part of it, the physicality,” Sykes observes. “We’re also very lucky with Bridge [Williams], our sound engineer, who’s completely committed to making it as loud as he can without it being uncomfortable for anybody. It’s his world, and he’s exceptional at it. We’re very lucky to have him.”

Another constant for Pigsx7 will be their setlist. They will labour over it initially, but once it’s fixed, it’s fixed. “Set list is something that, for us, we see as being as important as an album,” Sykes says. “I think it’s great that some bands change it up every night, but we spend quite a lot of time working out what’s going to work in what order, what flows into what. We see it as a whole.”

And while Pigsx7 might be road-worn, they're not weary. Not even close. With a new record to play at sold-out shows they are grateful, and as long as people keep on showing up, so will they. “I think all of us are in a constant state of disbelief that we’re managing to do this still and people seem to be on board,” Sykes admits. “All we hope for is that we can keep doing it. That’s our only aim, our only desire is to keep on doing it.”

Pigsx7’s ‘Death Hilarious’ is out on April 4 via Rocket Recordings.

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:

Thu April 03 2025 - BRIGHTON Chalk
Fri April 04 2025 - LONDON KOKO
Sat April 05 2025 - BRISTOL SWX
Mon April 07 2025 - NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
Tue April 08 2025 - BIRMINGHAM Castle and Falcon
Wed April 09 2025 - BIRKENHEAD Future Yard
Fri April 11 2025 - MANCHESTER New Century Hall
Sat April 12 2025 - LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
Sun April 13 2025 - LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
Tue April 15 2025 - EDINBURGH La Belle Angele
Wed April 16 2025 - GLASGOW Saint Luke's
Fri April 25 2025 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Star & Shadow
Sat April 26 2025 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Star & Shadow
Sun April 27 2025 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Star & Shadow

Compare & Buy Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Tickets at Stereoboard.com.

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