Pig Destroyer tear through Book Burner's 19 tracks in just under 32 minutes. And while most of these songs range from short to very short, there's a lot packed into each one. At times, this can simply sound like noise, but at other times, you'll hear a band at the top of its game. New drummer Adam Jarvis plays with ridiculous skill and speed throughout the record, and it seems unlikely that guitarist Scott Hull will ever run out of crushing riffs.
Book Burner contains several standout moments. "Eve" starts slow (in a good way) and features guest vocals by Agoraphobic Nosebleed vocalist Kat Katz. (She also appears on "The Bug.") Both "Valley of the Geyser's" and "Baltimore Strangler" also have great, slower starts before they blast off into the stratosphere. Conversely, "White Lady" ends by slowing down the tempo. "Totaled" is short and so punishing that I don't think it could work if it were any longer. Album closer "Permanent Funeral," which clocks in at over 4 minutes and is Book Burner's longest song, has a great intro that's actually longer than the majority of the other tracks.
If you're new to Pig Destroyer or grindcore, then you may need a few listens before warming up to Book Burner. It's not a record to discard after only one play, especially since it came 5 years after their last offering, 2007's Phantom Limb.
Grade: B (86.0%)
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