Head Cage
2018 studio album by Pig Destroyer
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Head Cage is the sixth studio album by American grindcore band Pig Destroyer. The album was released on September 7, 2018, through Relapse Records.[12] The album features vocal cameos from Richard Johnson and Kat Katz from Agoraphobic Nosebleed, along with Dylan Walker from Full of Hell.[3]
| Head Cage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 7, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | December 2017 – February 2018 | |||
| Studio | Visceral Sound Studios (Bethesda, Maryland, United States) | |||
| Genre | Metalcore,[1] grindcore[2] | |||
| Length | 30:55 | |||
| Label | Relapse | |||
| Producer | Scott Hull | |||
| Pig Destroyer chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Head Cage | ||||
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| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 79/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [5] |
| Consequence of Sound | 7.5/10[6] |
| Exclaim! | 9/10[7] |
| MetalSucks | [8] |
| Pitchfork | 8.1/10[9] |
| Sputnikmusic | 8/10[10] |
| Metal Storm | 8.0/10[11] |
The band commented in an official description of Head Cage:
"Across twelve tracks, Pig Destroyer weave together harrowing tales of philosophical dualities, touching on mortality and depression, fear and violence, and the darkest complexities of the human condition, all told through the distorted lens of delightfully transgressive vocalist/lyricist JR Hayes."[3]
Background
It is the band's only album with bassist John Jarvis in their line-up, and the last to feature Blake Harrison, who would leave in 2022 and die in 2024. MetalSucks called the album an "immediate frontrunner for the best metal album of 2018."[13] The band released a teaser for the album on June 27, 2018.[14][15]
Reception
Track listing
All lyrics are written by J. R. Hayes; all music is composed by Scott Hull.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tunnel Under the Tracks" | 1:21 |
| 2. | "Dark Train" | 1:11 |
| 3. | "Army of Cops" | 3:18 |
| 4. | "Circle River" | 2:45 |
| 5. | "The Torture Fields" | 2:55 |
| 6. | "Terminal Itch" | 1:13 |
| 7. | "Concrete Beast" | 3:21 |
| 8. | "The Adventures of Jason and JR" | 2:12 |
| 9. | "Mt. Skull" | 1:37 |
| 10. | "Trap Door Man" | 1:15 |
| 11. | "The Last Song" | 2:40 |
| 12. | "House of Snakes" | 7:07 |
| Total length: | 30:55 | |
Personnel
Pig Destroyer
- J. R. Hayes – lead vocals
- Scott Hull – guitars
- John Jarvis – bass, gang vocals
- Blake Harrison – noise, samples, gang vocals
- Adam Jarvis – drums, gang vocals
Additional musicians
- Richard Johnson − guest vocals (track 3), gang vocals
- Kat Katz − guest vocals (tracks 6, 7)
- Jason Hodges − guest vocals (track 8)
- Dylan Walker − noise (track 11)
- Aaron "Baron" Kirkpatrick − gang vocals
Production
- Scott Hull − recording
- Will Putney − mixing, mastering
- Mark McCoy − artwork, layout
- Mark Valentino − photography
Charts
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[17] | 146 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[18] | 100 |