Signed off of one rare and highly sought after demo tape that was traded amongst friends, Sect Pig have released their debut E.P entitled "Slave Destroyed" on California's Nuclear War Now Records. Though little is known about this band (it is rumored that the band is comprised of members from Canadian black metal band Antediluvian), what can't be argued is that Sect Pig aren't interested in fitting the typical mold of their genre. Musically similar to Blasphemy, "Slave Destroyed" incorporates low-fi, buzzing guitar riffs played over distant thrashing beats that harken back to the days of black metal's infancy. The strategic placement of the guitars in the mix is well done and creates a consistent wall of sound that carries each track rather nicely. This allows for other instrumentation and sounds to permeate through each track and doesn't draw the listener away from the particulars and subtleties that make Sect Pig special. I for one appreciate the lack of any blast beats and find the simplicity of the song structures quite enjoyable considering that it isn't done in a tongue in cheek manner or representative of a lack of considerable talent or respect for the genre in question. Sect Pig are well aware of what they are doing here, and it doesn't stop with the guitar and drums. Vocally, Sect Pig's use of distorted, layered, and pitch-shifted vocals are the most interesting aspect of the band's sound and more than help set an uncomfortably painful mood. Sound clips are carefully sprinkled in as well and contain passages advocating evil, destruction, the overthrow of governments, and the kind of things that every sample should contain. "Slave Destroyed" may not be the most commercially successful black metal release in recent memory, but its uniqueness should be championed, especially in a genre so full of clones and carbon copies. The very traits that set this record apart, its unique vocal delivery, new take on low-fi production, and emphasis on aesthetics and mood, are the very characteristics that helped set the second wave of black metal apart from its predecessors and helped forge a new path for the genre as a whole. Is this the best black metal record? Absolutely not, but it may be one day considered an important one.
8 / 10
- Joe