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Pigwalk [Pigwalk and Violated]

 
Album Review: Pigwalk [Pigwalk and Violated]

  • Artist: Stuck Mojo
  • Rating: StarStarStar
  • Release Date: September 05, 2006
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Before it was diluted and co-opted to such a degree that it became the most disposable, commercially driven distortion of heavy metal since the '80s glam movement, the confluence of rap and metal eventually became known as "nu-metal" (and now termed rap-metal) initially showed incredible promise for revitalizing a style that, in America, at least, had been effectively obliterated by grunge at the start of the '90s. Anthrax's historic collaboration with Public Enemy in 1991 arguably fired the first shot, and Rage Against the Machine's watershed debut the following year proved to all and sundry that, no matter how unlikely, hip-hop's rhymes and rhythmic grooves could in fact be Frankenstein-ed with metal's un-danceable head-banging and cathartic intensity. Countless young bands seemed to think so, anyway, and those which were based in urban centers and had therefore already been exposed to thriving rap and hardcore scenes -- such as New York City's Biohazard and Atlanta, GA's Stuck Mojo -- were among the first to burst out of the gate. The latter formed in 1993 and, following a tentative debut, Snappin' Necks, a couple of years later, arguably hit their stride with 1996's definitive Pigwalk, which, in the span of 11 songs, boasted a streamlined -- but still explosive -- sonic collision of syncopated rhyming on opinionated subjects, backed by megatons of brute, metallic riffing and hyperactive drums. Not unlike Rage Against the Machine's Zack de la Rocha and Tom Morello, Stuck Mojo's guiding tandem of self-dubbed "lyrical expressionist" Bonz and guitarist Rich Ward had somehow found a way to reconcile the inner city guerilla with the suburban guitar shredder, resulting in powerful blasts like "Twisted," "Violated," and the title track, which remain rap-metal milestones to this day. Yes, hundreds of opportunistic acts (many based in L.A. -- they're always the ones from L.A., aren't they?) were already watering down this Molotov cocktail for keg-like, mass consumption, and Stuck Mojo themselves would soon be distracted somewhat by a bizarre pro wrestling fetish, but Pigwalk survives as an inspired, vital, and combustible document of their powers -- warts and all. [Century Media's 2006 reissue of Pigwalk adds the six-song Violated EP, plus two unreleased band covers of Iron Maiden's "Wrathchild" and Mötley Crüe's "Shout at the Devil."] ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Pigwalk Stuck Mojo Stuck Mojo (3:48)
Mental Melt Down Stuck Mojo Stuck Mojo (4:41)
(Here Comes) The Monster Stuck Mojo, Bud Fontsere Stuck Mojo (3:39)
Twisted Stuck Mojo Stuck Mojo (3:39)
The Sermon Bud Fontsere, Stuck Mojo Stuck Mojo (1:43)
Despise Stuck Mojo Stuck Mojo (3:12)
Animal Stuck Mojo Stuck Mojo (3:48)
Only the Strong Survive Stuck Mojo Stuck Mojo (4:54)
Violated Stuck Mojo, Bud Fontsere Stuck Mojo (3:23)
Inside My Head Stuck Mojo Stuck Mojo (4:13)
Down Breeding Stuck Mojo Stuck Mojo (3:58)
Violated [*] Stuck Mojo Stuck Mojo (3:16)
U.B. Otch [*] Stuck Mojo (4:36)
Sweet Leaf [*] Tony Iommi, Terence Butler, Ozzy Osbourne Stuck Mojo (3:37)
Pizza Man [*] Stuck Mojo (2:17)
Monster [Live][*] Stuck Mojo (3:48)
Hate Must Be a Gift [*][Demo Version] Stuck Mojo (3:54)
Wrathchild [*] Stuck Mojo (2:57)
Shout at the Devil [*] Stuck Mojo (6:07)
Pigwalk [*][Multimedia Track] Stuck Mojo

Credits

Sean Johnson (Engineer), Bud Fontsere (Group Member), Daniel Bergstrand (Engineer), Michael Aiken (Spoken Word), Daniel Bergstrand (Producer), Rich Ward (Guitar), Corey Lowery (Group Member), Mark Coates Smith (Percussion), Tony Dawsey (Mastering), Corey Lowery (Vocals (Background)), Rich Ward (Group Member), Devin Townsend (Vocals), Martin Popoff (Liner Notes), Devin Townsend (Producer), Rich Ward (Vocals (Background)), Corey Lowery (Bass), Mircea Gabriel Eftemie (Layout Design), Bud Fontsere (Drums), Daniel Bergstrand (Sampling), Steve Briglevich (Digital Editing)
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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more