Pig’s Blood – Destroying the Spirit
Release Date: 24th April 2026
Label: Dark Descent Records
Bandcamp
Genre: War Metal
FFO: Antichrist Siege Machine, Revenge, Conqueror, Pissgrave.
Review By: Aeons Burning
Sometimes, you just know what a band sounds like before you’ve listened. Pig’s Blood are a perfect example of that, playing a particularly violent blend of war metal that worships at the altar of Revenge mostly, and does it in a better fashion than Revenge themselves. Third album Destroying the Spirit is their first in seven years, and I’ll admit I haven’t thought much about these guys ever since their 2019 record, but I’ve atoned for my mistakes, because these guys are quite the force to be reckoned with. A facet about Destroying the Spirit that makes it all the more similar to Antichrist Siege Machine is the real heft added to the songs by making the death metal stand out a lot more than on their first two albums. This isn’t to say that their first two records are bad though; far from it, but Destroying the Spirit just does a better job at standing out than the others.
It’s always good to see bands rejecting the now far-too-common intros and interludes, and Pig’s Blood does just that, with opener Standing in Depravity wasting absolutely no time at all and marching forth all guns blazing. Similar to Pissgrave’s album last year, Destroying the Spirit is very digestible at a crisp 33 minutes, and I’ve jammed this while working out recently. Aftermath is the standout track, as it exudes this sense of rabidity that I crave in the more violent side of metal, especially when the vocal style gets shifted to include more of a hardcore edge, not dissimilar from Harms Way. Through and through, though, Destroying the Spirit is a hefty, death-infused war metal record, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This is not thinking man’s music. Pig’s Blood solely seek to crush you under the hammer repeatedly, and Destroying the Spirit is a fantastic return to the extreme metal world after seven years. It may not reinvent anything, and it doesn’t need to. Destroying the Spirit is a record that has a lot of staying power and is great for a quick gym sesh or a good run, and while it won’t list for me, this is a comfy album that I can easily return to when I want something pummeling that doesn’t require too much brain power to really enjoy. Any fan of war metal or incredibly violent death metal would be remiss if they don’t listen to this. Check the rest of Pig’s Blood discography, as well. These guys rock.
(3.5 / 5)
