On their fifth album, Death Hilarious, they're tossing aside the immersive, slow-burning textures of Land of Sleeper and dive headfirst into something wilder, more aggressive, and unapologetically direct. This isn’t just an album, it’s a full-force collision, a riotous onslaught of sludgy riffs, howling intensity, and moments of unexpected weirdness that make it one of their most dynamic releases yet.
Whereas their previous effort encouraged deep listening and slow immersion, this time around, the band is all about impact and they’ve more than delivered. Shaped by relentless gigging, Death Hilarious distills the energy of their live shows into a record that feels like standing front-row at one of their boisterous performances. It’s loud, fast, and crushing, built to rattle your speakers and shake your ribcage.
Lyrically, frontman Matt Baty channels a storm of self-doubt and existential anxiety into a cathartic release, turning personal struggles into the album’s beating heart. Doubting whether he even had anything left to say, he ultimately embraced that fear, using it as fuel rather than letting it silence him. That raw honesty is present from the get go with the pummelling weight of “Blockage” titling at you full speed and it also runs through every track, adding even more sonic battering. The trio of songs that follow all call upon some form of inner emotional turmoil, from the almost bewildered bleakness of “Detroit”, the slo-mo self reflection of “Collider” through to the buoyant but still doubtful “Stitches”. It’s a process.
But Death Hilarious isn’t just personal, it’s also a response to the creeping sense of instability in the wider world. Described as a reaction to the cutthroat individualism of modern society, an antidote to the relentless optimism peddled by mainstream culture. This isn’t a record full of empty platitudes, it’s a primal scream, an unfiltered response to the chaos outside.
Despite its heavy themes and even heavier riffs, the album
isn’t without its surprises. Take “Glib Tongued”, where Pigsx7
unexpectedly collide with hip-hop royalty in the form of El-P from Run
The Jewels. The song’s groove-driven "rap track" somehow turned into a
genuine crossover, with El-P delivering a searing verse that weaves into
the band’s sonic chaos. It’s an unlikely match on the face of things
but it works, adding a fresh, unpredictable edge to the album and
something of a turning point in the track listing as Pigsx7 switch tack
with the intense building and twisting riffs of “The Wyrm”.
The spirit of experimentation that runs throughout Death Hilarious,
drifts away somewhat following this song but everywhere there are
moments where jagged noise rock crashes into cyclical, hypnotic
post-metal. There are unexpected synth solos that burst through the wall
of distortion like bright lights in a storm. It even sounds like there
are ghostly piano passages buried in the mix, adding eerie depth to the
band’s usual onslaught. Unexpected left turns do continue, like blending
the raw energy of Motörhead with a warped, glam-tinged swagger to
closer “Toecurler”. Molten guitar riffs and an unrelenting rhythm
section make for a high-speed collision numerous times.
The willingness of Pigsx7 to embrace their own
imperfections, mixing the absurd with the painful, is part of what makes
the band so compelling. As guitarist and producer Sam Grant
acknowledges, each member is doing something the others couldn’t, where
the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That chemistry is the
backbone of Death Hilarious. It’s a record that thrives on
trust, experimentation, and the sheer joy of making a glorious,
deafening racket together. It also respects its audience enough to be
honest, to be fearless, and to deliver something unfiltered and real,
bursting with personality. Pigsx7 have never sounded more essential.
