Virginia’s grind masters in Pig Destroyer are a talented group, to say the very least. Being a band that has pushed the boundaries of Grindcore, sonically and creatively for the past 15 years, one starts to wonder what other tricks they could have up their short sleeves. It’d be one thing if they only released punishing 200+ BPM torture sessions (which, honestly, I’d be fine with), but like any artist deserving their reputation, they occasionally do, if you’ll excuse the lame pun, grind to a halt. Such you can experience in the eerie-beyond-measure 38 minute doom/ambient track ‘Natasha’, following the canon of their masterpiece Terrifyer. In addition, they’ve introduced electronic experimentation, coming as no surprise to fans, as Scott Hull is the evil wizard behind cybergrind-on-PCP degenerates Agoraphobic Nosebleed and harsh noise project Japanese Torture Comedy Hour. In case you were wondering —and you probably weren’t—, JTCH and PD have occasionally conflated, as evidenced by Explosions In Ward 6 being a song on Voltage Monster, and the track ‘Hyperviolet’ off of Prowler In The Yard samples ‘Black Mathematics’.

But enough of that history lesson, this is the here and now. Sort of. Mass & Volume was reportedly birthed while the band had some spare time following the recording of Phantom Limb, (though it had never seen the light until 2013, released as a tribute to the late Pat Egan of Relapse Records. Like ‘Natasha’, this is a decidedly low-tempo release; the band eschews speeds above that of a funereal march in favour of washing feedback, ceremonial ambiance, and of course, riffs as big as a mountain.

The 19 minute title track, bookended by Blake Harrison’s atmospheric vibes that make you feel like you’re on shrooms in the woods, plods along at glacial pace. Much of the track consists of moments of doom, with interstitial feedback providing the bulk of the noise, alongside the synthesizers. Musically, this is a highly appropriate backdrop for the album cover, which features hooded monks worshiping a hideous deity. This beast has vocals, though admittedly I feel the track could have simply dispensed with them altogether. J.R. Hayes screaming for a few minutes in what is otherwise a quite mellow track —as mellow as Electric Wizard maybe— takes away more than it adds, unfortunately. Perhaps Sunn O))) had the right idea.

‘Red Tar’ is the more aggressive side, clocking it at 6 and a half minutes, channeling less YOB or The Melvins and more of Buzzov*en or Thou’s unmitigated hatred. Here, the vocals fit better, though J.R.’s use of effects here is questionable, since his natural throat is already frightening enough. Just take a look at any live video where his microphone breaks, and you’ll see what he’s capable of. The reverb/echo chamber quality is interesting, I can’t help but feel that something’s off about that processed snarl. The lack of dynamics in rhythm makes me wish they had shaved off a few minutes from an otherwise decent romp through the swamp, but still a good headbang track.

All things considered, this EP holds some weight, though it’s easy to see why it almost didn’t get to see the rays of our warming sun. It’s ‘Natasha’-different, which is good, as we see they’ve retained their ability to branch out —they even recently got a bassist, to say nothing of the sample guy/backup vocalist— but it’s obvious that this work was meant to be more of an optional soup or salad than a main course of, let’s say, roasted cop garnished with $100 bills stolen from the Federal Reserve. People’s reactions will certainly vary, but almost everyone agrees that their strength lies mainly in the gladiatorial aspect of their artistry.

6.5/10

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SEAN PIERRE-ANTOINE