Customer Reviews

Prowler in the Yard (Clean)

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Dear God, this is one messed-up album. "Prowler In the Yard" represents nothing less than a milestone in the evolution of extremity, making much of what was once considered extreme sound downright quaint. I suppose if I had to come up with an analogy I'd say listening to this album is comparable to having your brains put in a blender, but even that doesn't quite cut it. To those looking for old-fashioned devices like melody, verse-chorus structures, and conventional rhythms, all I can say is: ha! You won't find any of that stuff here, just track after track of deranged grindcore played at speeds ranging from midtempo to about mach 3. After the (rather disturbing) intro of "Jennifer," the band bursts out of the gate with "Cheerleader Corpses" and doesn't let up until the (equally disturbing) outro of "Piss Angel." Rather than standing out as individual compositions the tracks tend to bleed into one another, coalescing into a stunning onslaught of noise that's superbly crafted to create a mood of the utmost insanity.

Perhaps most importantly, these guys have a great deal of talent for a bunch of crazed noise freaks. Scott Hull is a riffmeister of the highest order, deftly mixing indescribable heaviness with hyperkinetic fretboard wankery. Brian Harvey's drumming is as maniacal and technical as any I've ever heard on a grindcore album, delivering plenty of the expected blastbeats without sacrificing variety. And topping it all off is the awe-inspiring vocal performance of J.R. Hayes, whose voice is perhaps the most demented these ears have ever had the privilege of hearing. Making the typical death metal vocalist sound sort of like Michael Bolton, J.R.'s bloodthirsty scream perfectly drives home the twisted atmosphere that Pig Destroyer so effortlessly conjure up.

I actually wound up getting this album at a very good time, as I was beginning to think I'd heard it all. "Prowler In The Yard" turned out to be just what my jaded ears needed to hear. These guys are easily right up there with bands like Nasum, Soilent Green, and the Dillinger Escape Plan in revolutionizing the art of noise craftsmanship. If you're looking for something that's sure to offend all normal and well-adjusted people, it doesn't get much better than this.

Pig Destroyer is not a band meant for the faint hearted. If Linkin Park is the heaviest band you listen to, stay the hell away from this album, it'll go right over your head. But if you're a fan of twisted, insane, and, most of all, NOISY music, then Pig Destroyer's 36 minute, 22 tracks grind opus "Prowler in the Yard" is sure to be a pleaser for ya.

To put it simply, there is nothing at all melodic on this record. It's all straight forward grind brutality. Many of the tracks are under a minute, which might scare off some listeners who are used to 3 minute+ songs. But keep in mind that all the tracks run together well (as they all really do sound alike) so the whole album's like one big long track. Some tracks have a little groove thrown in as well to accompany the grind; "Trojan Whore" and "Naked Trees" have nice little chugging guitar breaks, "Heart & Crossbones" has an excellent breakdown, and let's not forget about that absolutely badass drum intro to "Junkyard God".

This was actually my first grindcore album. I downloaded some songs before buying it to see if I liked it, and I did, so I went out and purchased this album. The CD's a concept album; told through the perspective of an insane man who is depressed and lonely after his ex-girlfriend Jennifer parted ways wit him. The liner notes in the booklet, written as if they were coming through the mouth of this psychotic man, state that he spent "hours carefully scrawling her name onto the side of each bullet" and "Ash grey clouds seal off the sky, ensuring that God will not be able to see what I am about to do". This is a prelude to the album. After this, the album proceeds to tell jsut what this man does to Jennifer.

The album is the story of him taking Jennifer into his arms and loving her into oblivion, as it says in the CD booklet. In other words, it's about this man's breaking into her house and killing her. But the lyrics are written with style. Sometimes extremely random, with lines like "CHAMELEON IS MY FAVORITE ANIMAL!" being shouted out of nowhere. The lyrics are all very metaphorical; on the surface, it's like a bunch of random jibberish, but if you can see past the surface, they do indeed tell the story of Jennifer and her disgruntled ex-lover.

Vocalist JR Hayes doesn't growl or screech or anything on this album; he just screams his f*cking head off. How this man doesn't lose his voice is beyond me. Guitarist Scott Hull lays down some excellent grind riffs, and often plays some groovier ones. But he can play that damn guitar, and the man was clearly put on the earth to play this particular type of music. There are no solos on this disc however, but the short songs wouldn't very much allow space for them anyways. Now about the drummer Brian Harvey...DAMN, this dude's a machine! He gives a flawless performance on this album, keeping up with every single guitar riff and lick, bashing the living s*it out of his drums, creating monster fills, and generally taking extreme drumming to new heights. He has since become one of my favorite drummers.

This album probably won't appeal to most listeners. Only a few will be able to see the beauty in the brutality; the order in the chaos. And if you can see that beauty, that order, you will be rewarded with a very powerful and emotional, and very twisted, album. Pig Destroyer are just one damn good band, and sadly, a very misunderstood one. But if you're looking for something heavy and new, DEFINATELY check these guys out.

I did not discover PD until I heard Terrifyer, which blew me away. I promtly went out and got Prowler and it is even better than Terrifyer. I like it better than terrifyer because there is a bit more melody involved. When I'm pissed off this is the first thing I look for...and everyone needs that special CD to listen to when they are pissed off. Honorable mention must go to Harvey for possibly the most amazing drumming I have ever heard. Pig Destryer will be hated by most (well, if the average person could hear it they would hate it is what I mean), but if you have the fortitude to see the beauty in this chaos, you will be greatly rewarded.

Pig Destroyer really surprised me with this one. I mean, who ever thought of releaseing a concept grincore album? It apears that the metal geniuses in Pig Destroyer thought this one up. The story of Jennifer is sick, twisted, and horrifying. The tracks themselfes are pure grind fury. The album's dramatic closer "Piss Angel" is their best work to date. The riffs are great, the vocals, amazing, not to mention the climax of the story as heard in a sample after the metal had stop pounding. "Starbelly" is my second favorite song on the album. Fast and furious, pure energy. Amazing. God I love this album. If like grind, then I guarentee that you will love this album too.

"Prowler" is undoubtedly one of 2001's best underground releases. Recorded in the drummers basement with a digital 8-track recorder, the final product is a vividly raw and powerful album. PIG DESTROYER have combined the best elements of hardcore, thrash, and death into a tremendously effective form of grind that is as much innovative as it is lethal. Loaded with 22 songs that range from 30 seconds (or less) to a couple of minutes each, "Prowler" smacks you in the face with one track and before you know it another follows through with a deadly blow. Each member of this three piece truely shines through and makes this release stand out above many others. From Brian Harveys blasting drum beats to Scott Hulls unpredictable and ever-changing riffs to Jr. Hayes nihilistic vocal style and intelligently surreal and dark lyrical prose that fills the entire booklet, PIG DESTROYER have a ferocity that cannot be easily matched by anyone. And to top it off all songs combine to complete a well-thought concept album! My only complaint is that the total running time (36:43) could have been a bit longer. I will be bold enough to recommend this album to anyone into extreme underground.

Despite the occasional "my kid makes this music by banging on pots and pans," comment by the occasional cretin, this is an amazing album. I myself am not a huge Pig Destroyer fan, but denying the brilliance of the lyrical story telling as well as what is just plain amazingly fast, brutal, and excellent musicianship is very difficult. A must have for any grindcore fan, for sure.

Not to say that Pig Destroyer and Slayer are anything alike, but they're both great albums. But onto PitY, this is the essiential grind album. Every song is very well written, thanks to Scott Hull and Brian Harvey. This album contains some of the best drumming I've ever heard...and it isn't just blastbeats nonstop, he throws in so many fills and rolls smoothly and his blastbeats are incredibly fast and precise. The guitar riffs on this CD are simply genius. I know some moron will come on here and say it's nothing but noise, but they just don't understand/appreciate grindcore. Scott's guitar playing is intricate, quick, and very original. Now, onto my favorite part of all Pig Destroyer albums...JR Hayes' vocals. This man is easily the best grindcore vocalist you can find. He sounds like he's being stabbed, burned, and shot in the leg all at once. He also has a very recognizable voice, anyone who listens to PxDx for only a week can catch onto that piercing shriek and those harrowing screams. Every song on here is excellent...and Jennifer and the end of Piss Angel creep the bejesus out of me.

if you don't like this cd you're probably one of those people who say "i can't even understand what he's saying. why doesn't he just sing?" and you're an idiot for even thinking about looking at a cd by a band called pig destroyer. if you listen to anything heavy (and by heavy i don't mean korn) i think you have to like this cd. it's amazing, it's demented, and it's like nothing i've ever heard. just listening to it you get a vibe that can only be described as " oh my god i'm listening to a serial killer scream at me about all his crazy sadistic fantasies" then you read the lyrics (which are genius and J.R. should get some sort of award for them) and you're scared for the rest of your life. this cd is important and is a must have for any fan of extreme music.

PITY is about the most goddamned intense album ever released. CLocking in at 36 minutes with 5 minutes of noise following piss angel, this album never grows old or lets up. ALthough the music rarely slows down, it never grows old, and gets you in a mood to go chop someone into giblets. The singer sounds like he is channeling insantity itself, from the hardcore screams to the black metal shreaks to death metal grunts. THe only way is up for Pig Destroyer.

This album is very bruital,but the production and musicianship on this album the best for a Grindcore.The album is about a man who looks back at his life while parked out side her(his girl freind) house waiting to confront her(at least thats what I got from it).

My #1 is Scatology Homework,its short at under 50 seconds but when I first herd him yell"chammeleion is my favorit animal"the hair on the back of my neck stood up.the last 4 songs are also very emotional because they show his direct emotion with the girl as he goes to the door,looks in the window,kills her, and in "Piss Angel"his feelings after he has took the only thing he ever loved's life.

P.S The drumming on this album is the best I have ever heard by far....