Noise rock, since its beginnings, has reveled in dissonance and musical discordance. Bands like The Jesus Lizard and Big Black took conventional rock structures and flipped them upside down. Then Unsane came along and added an immense heaviness to the genre’s already angular palette. Well, fast forward to now and that group’s bassist, Dave Curran has another project, Pigs. With their second full length Wronger, the band brings this heaviness to the forefront and pushes it to new heights.

Wronger marks Pigs’ second consecutive attempt to push the limits of extremity and craziness. The band’s debut, You Ruin Everything, was a good first outing; it fell a bit flat as it went on, but at least it was a shot in the arm for heavy noise. This album on the other hand is an animal of a completely different color. Every aspect of it eclipses its predecessor, particularly the songwriting. “Amateur Hour in Dick City” has some of the catchiest yet heavy riffs and hooks likely to be heard this year. With the song’s airy-sounding guitar tones and acute sense of repetition, it’s entirely possible to forget for a moment this is noise rock. On the heavier end of the spectrum is “The Life in Pink”. Here, Curran’s whiskey-soaked vocals and Andrew Schneider’s massive-sounding bass lines allow the song — and the album, for that matter — to fully realize the scuzzy undercurrent of good noise metal.

Tracks like “Mope” and “Wrap it Up” are more in keeping with the genre’s standard template. Chords and percussion pummel from all directions, generating feelings of disorientation and uneasiness. (This is particularly true of the latter, with its high pitched, start-stop chugging chords.) “Mouth Dump” takes a right turn out of nowhere with banjo and southern tinged slap drums over a conversation regarding the ills of society. It’s only a short break in the action, but it’s such a departure from the rest of the album that it couldn’t help but lose me, even on repeat listens.

“Bug Boy” is another textbook freak-out track but with an outstanding guest vocal slot from ex-Made Out of Babies vocalist Julie Christmas, this one was a welcome surprise. Other than a guest spot on this year’s Spylacopa album Parallels, it’s been awhile since Christmas last graced us with her truly unique vocals. She fits in perfectly with the nervous energy of the song.

Ultimately, all roads lead to the crushing dirge of album closer “Donnybrook”. Here, the band layers slower riffs over top of Jim Paradise’s drum showcase, and creates one bleak sounding track. Instead of coming through front-and-center, the vocals here act as just another instrument, adding another layer of darkness. Aside from a single quieter minute to pick your teeth up off the floor, the track is simply relentless, punishing the listener with gut punch after gut punch. The marching cadence and guitar and bass interplay during the final minute or so makes for one of the album’s finest moments.

I’ve always been a fan of Curran’s work in Unsane for its relentless heaviness. With Pigs, he takes a similar approach, and the tone, attitude and adventurousness the band brings to the table on Wronger fully cement their place in the noise rock genre.

– Josh

Wronger will be available October 2 on Solar Flare Records. For more information on Pigs visit the band’s Facebook page.