EP REVIEW: Pedigree Pig – Anthers
Noise rock trio ANTHERS have put out their debut EP Pedigree Pig. The band themselves came together because of COVID lockdown; with the idea of forming a band being discussed prior to 2020, the restlessness and boredom pushed them into finally doing it. And now, inspired by the weirdness of the time, they aimed to create something “as weird and heavy as possible” – a goal that’s certainly achieved on this EP.
What’s interesting about Pedigree Pig is how the beginning and end sound like your typical noise project inspired by genres like industrial, punk and post-punk, yet the middle itself feels like we’ve suddenly stepped into the centre of a sci-fi dystopian story.
Opening the record is the track Mabel, which relies heavily on noise distortion on instruments, vocals and sound effects, creating something dark and intriguing. Yet in that same time the band switch into something energetic and bouncy in composition, all the while using a vocal style that combines the style of slam poetry and shouty punk – it’s a strong opening. Following track Blow Mold doesn’t feel as interesting at first, but it still blends industrial rock and punk seamlessly. Then the volume lowers and you’re drawn in. You start to picture a dingy scene as a story emerges.
Gantuan starts out with the same distorted feedback, but there are also alarms blaring in the background. The feedback then becomes louder and starts to sound like marching, something loud coming our way, until we hear a roar of some nature – one that sounds genuinely similar to that of the machines in War Of The Worlds. The atmosphere gets more tense with the use of spoken word as we prepare to witness the end of the world. Following this is Tsuga, which appears to carry on the story with similar sound effects that depict something big and dangerous coming, alongside a punk rock instrumental. A solid version of horror punk.
It’s a bit of a shame then when ANTHERS move onto UGGO that’s more standard in composition, although it still sounds great. The final two songs make up for it though, starting with instrumental track Mussels that has them revisiting the distorted sound effects heard earlier, yet not as dramatically, before blending into ggbb that focuses on a more drone-rock style. It’s not as explosive as one may have hoped, yet it’s still satisfying as a conclusion.
Weird and loud? Definitely!
Rating: 7/10
Pedigree Pig is out now via self-release.
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