Metal & Mike: The Grinding Craft Of Writing With PIG DESTROYER
Michael Pementel
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Six years after their previously released LP, Pig Destroyer are back and swinging fists into the fray on their sixth studio album, Head Cage (out today via Relapse Records). In classic Pig Destroyer fashion the record is a ferocious experience; sporadic guitar and drum patterns, along with a pounding bass and barking vocals make Head Cage an absolute rager from the get-go.
But besides the instrumentals and vocal intensity, there is something deeper and poetic; while Pig Destroyer may be all about aggression and speed, there’s also a great deal of emotion in their work. This is thanks to the band’s vocalist/lyricist JR Hayes. Throughout their discography, Hayes has written about concepts like depression, isolation, and human nature. The record’s title embraces these themes; for Hayes, a head cage can represent different forms of anxiety and protection from the world.
“[The title] actually came out of a different lyric that I had written for another project,” Hayes shares. “And to be honest I wasn’t even thinking about the torture device at the time; I mean I knew of its existence, but that wasn’t really where the image came from. If you’ve followed my band for any amount of time, you know that a lot of my lyrics kind of deal with the same stuff. And a lot of it is just feeling that you’ve got things trapped inside you can’t get out. And then also feeling all these things in the outside world that are trying to get in, that you’re trying to keep out.”
He adds, “You know a cage can kind of work both ways; a cage can be where something is locked in the cage to protect what’s outside. And then you can lock yourself in a cage (like a shark cage), to protect you from what’s outside. It fit well I think with the cover art; because with the cover art you see the smoke and this kind of energy coming between the head and the hand, but you don’t know if he’s pulling something out of his head or if he’s putting something into his head. So to me, it was kind of open-ended enough that it was interesting.”
Hayes is a veteran writer; using the might of his pen, he is able to masterfully infuse his prose with rage and sorrow. Head Cage offers a variety of songs that act as reflections of our world, as well as those titles personal to Hayes’ life. In “Army of Cops” he explores the intensity of State security since 9/11. And in “Mt. Skull” he revisits the pain of the past; the song revolves around his childhood, being with family, and how those times are now a distant memory. Whether his work is politically charged or very personal, Hayes weaves words together exuding raw emotion.
To present and reach this level of artistry, he maintains an intimate process in creating his art. In discussing his writing process, he shares:
“My writing kind of works in stages over a long period of time; I don’t know if it’s by design as much, just because we don’t do records that often. So I end up having a pretty good amount of time to create things and sort through them, and [then I can] scrap something and start something else again. When I originally write things, I try to just sit down and try to write with nothing in mind in particular. I just kind of write what I’m feeling and just fill up pages; and if it’s garbage then it’s garbage, but I just try to get my ideas down and then I just kind of leave them alone.”
“I don’t like to go right back over something, I kind of like to close it up and forget about it. And so then I’ll accumulate like say (I think for this record), I had somewhere between like four or five notebooks full of shit. So then I know when it’s time for me to do a record, I sit down with everything I’ve gotten. And most of it I don’t even remember writing to be honest. But I’ll sit down and pull out all of the lines and all of the pieces that I think have some sort of emotional context to them, or they intrigue me on some level. Or maybe I see them and I’m like, ‘I can work with that. I can use that for lyric X or lyric Y or something like that.’ And I just try to hone in on things where there’s something there. And 99% of the stuff I write is just bullshit and gets thrown away; but if I can find 10% of that stuff, and shape it into something that I like, then that’s where it’s coming from.”
Dedication, discipline, and time all come together to allow Hayes to find his best work. The maturity in his craft speaks volumes; Hayes is a writer that knows that the art of writing requires patience, and he demonstrates the strength to produce poetic results. He continues, “There are some lyrics that come together really quickly all kind of in one big bout of inspiration, and then there are other things that I kind of just grind away at for a few years. And it’s not necessarily representative of the size of the lyric, like something really small (even if it’s only eight lines), could take me a couple years to get it to where I like it. You know I’m in a grindcore band and it’s a grind of a process; maybe I would liken it to sculpting almost; where I kind of find this block of words that I can kind of chip down into something that says what I want to say.”
Given the hefty themes that Pig Destroyer explore, Hayes finds himself in various places while writing; his lyrics embody his feelings and journey throughout life. He allows himself to open up in sharing his stories, offering listeners the chance to also self-interpret his work. In regard to his state of mind while writing, he shares, “There’s a lot of different motivations at work. I’m not usually looking to speak about anything in particular. One of the reasons why I like to put away things quickly is because a lot of times when you write something that’s very confessional or very revealing, there’s a certain amount of embarrassment where you’re like, ‘I don’t want to show somebody that,’ or, ‘That’s too much.’ And you might want to sweep that stuff under the rug and go with something a little safer; and I feel if I give myself some space and some time before I go back through something, [then] I try to find those [intimate] parts better. The more revealing the better because those are the things people are gonna attach themselves to.”
“And if I don’t put myself out there and if I don’t be vulnerable and expose myself, so to speak, then I’m not gonna be able to draw anybody in; it’s just gonna be a bunch of words and I want to get a little deeper than that. I want there to be some sort of emotional core to what I’m doing. Whether I’m living in the moment (which definitely happens), or whether I’m reflecting on the past (which also happens), those are just all different kinds of emotions, and I just want to put something in there that’s real. I don’t like to just write about whatever. It’s really kind of just a gut thing; you look at something and it just either feels right or it doesn’t, or it looks right or it doesn’t. And sometimes you can’t even really tell why; from an intellectual level you just have to trust your instincts.”
There’s no denying the immense impact that Pig Destroyer has had on grindcore (and heavy music in general). Since the band kicked things off in 1997, Hayes and the crew have continuously created brutal record after brutal record; Head Cage is not only another terrific addition to their discography, but a superb testament to Pig Destroyer’s ability to push themselves creatively. Each of Head Cage’s 12 tracks promises devastation upon the senses; from the pure frenzy of blasting drum work, sinister guitar riffs, blistering bass work, to the seething vocals and poetic lyrics, Pig Destroyer continue to remain one of metal’s most unique bands.
For Hayes, art is about responsibility and fun; about creating something sincere in which people can experience and grow from; and as an artist, it’s about enjoying the moment and the gifts that are in your life. “I’m not a person who spends a lot of time really thinking about the past,” he states. “To me, the old records are just old records. I don’t have any desire or will to change anything about [past work]. I think it’s an artist’s responsibility to exist in the moment. You know maybe when I’m older and my body is falling apart, or whatever, I can sit around and think about what we’ve accomplished and stuff; for me, it’s always about the next thing. I’m not even really honestly thinking about Head Cage, I’m thinking about the next song that I have to write and whatever the next project is gonna be after that.”
“You just gotta move forward; that to me is the most important thing. For me, the band has been about two very specific things; [the first being] trying to make the best music and put on the best performances we can. Even though we don’t put out a lot of records and we don’t play a lot of shows, we want to make it count when we do it. The other part of it is having fun with my friends; if you’re in a band and you’re not having fun, then it’s like ‘Well what the fuck are you doing?’ That to me is the most important thing; that when I see those guys and when I play with them, and when I go on the road with them, that we’re having a good time and we’re joking. It’s like a little vacation. And to me, those are the kind of things that get you through the day.”
You can purchase Head Cage via Bandcamp or the Relapse Record website. You can listen to the track “Army Of Cops” below, and find past Metal & Mike articles here. You can also find me on Twitter.
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