Album Review: Orchid / Pig Destroyer – Split (1998)
• Artists: Orchid / Pig Destroyer
• Label: Amendment Records
• Genre: Grind-core,Emo Violence, Screamo, Power violence
2. A Written Apology (1:53)
4. Delusional Supremacy (0:24)
5. Alcatraz Metaphors (0:30)
7. Seven and Thirteen (0:21)
8. Scouring the Wreckage (0:45)
9. Suicide Through Decay (1:01)
11. Frailty in Numbers (0:47)
Released early in both bands’ careers, this 1998 split between Orchid and Pig Destroyer captures a moment of pure sonic violence and raw intensity. Both acts were still carving their identities — Orchid rooted in emotional hardcore and Pig Destroyer in the rapidly mutating grindcore underground — yet the result is one of the most ferocious and unrestrained releases of the late ’90s.
Orchid’s three tracks stretch over five and a half minutes, but every second counts. The opener, “Consumed,” begins with a slow, menacing guitar that builds into a chaotic eruption — a perfect statement of intent. The riffs carry hints of powerviolence and grindcore, pushing their screamo foundations into more abrasive territory.
“A Written Apology” continues with relentless shifts between melody and chaos, while “Pledge” closes Orchid’s side with feverish urgency, balancing emotional catharsis with pure aggression. This is Orchid at their rawest — desperate, chaotic, and emotionally unfiltered.
It’s no surprise some listeners argue these tracks edge closer to grindcore than screamo; the tone, pacing, and production feel far heavier than most of their contemporaries.
Pig Destroyer’s half of the split is a blistering display of grindcore minimalism — seven tracks in under five minutes, each one a burst of speed and hostility. The opener, “Delusional Supremacy,” lasts barely twenty seconds yet hits with the force of a full song.
By the time you reach “Suicide Through Decay,” the set’s longest track at just over a minute, the band showcases the controlled chaos that would later define Prowler in the Yard. The sound is razor-sharp and relentless, with J.R. Hayes’s vocals cutting through like a weapon.
Every track feels like a violent snapshot — short, explosive, and unapologetically abrasive. It’s arguably the most savage material Pig Destroyer ever put to tape.
Clocking in at just over ten minutes, this split leaves no time for rest. It’s fast, furious, and emotionally devastating, showcasing two underground titans at their most primal. Orchid’s side brings a sense of tortured emotion and melodic instability, while Pig Destroyer’s half is pure calculated chaos.
Together, they deliver one of the most intense and forward-thinking hardcore/grind splits of the era — a document of where raw emotion and total extremity collide.
jacobvanloon
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