Album review: Pig Pen – Mental Madness

Wade MacNeil’s legacy as a punk icon is already secure. Be it his work with Alexisonfire, Gallows or his myriad collaborations and solo efforts, the Ontario native is a steady hand when it comes to fast-paced, aggressive music. Pig Pen, Wade’s latest project formed with longtime friends including The Bear star Matty Matheson, is another winner, with their debut album comprising 24 minutes of hardcore might that pays tribute to the ’80s scene from which they emerged.

Opening in cataclysmic fashion with the aptly titled Rabid Beach, bludgeoning hardcore and sonic chaos is the order of the day from the minute Pig Pen kick-in. Other highlights include the hell-raising Heat Wave, which duly delivers pure hardcore fire, and the carnage of the record’s eponymous third track, whereby Pig Pen bellow their name over some groove-laden riffs. The runaway fun of Power Love Train and Highway are further moments of unbridled joy delivered with a potent concoction of muscle and mayhem.

Mental Madness flies by in no time, with its creators evidently having a blast as they tear through a brand of hardcore that feels both nostalgic and vital, with Wade and co. adding to a contemporary hardcore canon that is thriving thanks to brilliant young guns like Speed and Scowl and the crossover success of Turnstile.

Pig Pen’s approach is far grimier than those taking hardcore to the masses, but it’s no less brilliant. When it comes to frenzied hardcore delivered with true punk rock fury, these boys are like a pig in shit.

Verdict: 4/5

For fans of: Power Trip, Municipal Waste, Speed

Mental Madness is out now via Flatspot