Pig Destroyer

From their 1997 inception, Virginia-based death metal/grindcore superstars Pig Destroyer have represented the very forefront of extreme American metal. The band features guitarist Scott Hull, formerly of seminal hardcore chaos maniacs Anal C*nt and the sole permanent member of grindcore mainstays Agoraphobic Nosebleed, scary chimpanzee screecher J. R. Hayes, drummer John Evans and no bass. Pig Destroyer's inhumanly fast tempos, raving lunatic vocals and propensity for truly disturbing themes centering on violence are pretty much unrivaled in music. Basically, they're as nuts and smart as grindcore can possibly be. In addition to the jarring speeds, Hull manages to peal off some kind of thrumming hot lick in practically every 49-second burst of sonic terrorism the trio produces (see "Restraining Order Blues" and the title cut from 2004's Terrifyer). Chugging death/doom breakdowns and far out, K.K. Downing-inspired solos further blur the lines between death and grind metal. Since they signed with Relapse in 2000, each Pig Destroyer release has been received with clamoring praise from critics and fans alike.