Canadian hardcore band Pig Pen will release their debut album Mental Madness on June 27 via Flatspot Records. And last week, the band gave fans a taste of what’s to come with the release of their latest single, “Rabid Beach,” accompanied by an animated video.
At just about two minutes, “Rabid Beach” feels like an unhinged outburst of rage, with hand-drawn animation depicting a hypnotic cycle of shifting images, including transformations into the band members themselves. If “Rabid Beach” doesn’t hit right, definitely check out other singles from the upcoming album, including the first single, “Mental Mentality.”
Comprised of longtime vets from punk, hardcore, and rock, Pig Pen self-recorded and produced Mental Madness. After spending a few months trading riffs and playlists for inspiration, the band wrote the album in a single day and recorded it the next.
The album centers on themes like isolation, loneliness, and “letting your mind destroy you,” as frontman Matty Matheson (yes, that chef and actor) puts it. “You can be having a beautiful day, surrounded by friends,” Matheson explains, “and your brain can continuously ruin it. No matter how good or bad your life is, you can still hate yourself. I’ve got to ask myself why am I feeling the ways I’m feeling?”
And while Mental Madness may very well be a brutally satisfying introduction to the band, something tells me, like any great hardcore act, Pig Pen is best experienced live.
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