Fucked Up

Year of the Pig [12 inch] (2007)

Ben_Conoley

I suppose it only makes sense that Toronto's Fucked Up would release the biggest hardcore album of 2006, Hidden World, and follow it with the biggest hardcore song in recent history. Their second in their "Year of" series, Year of the Pig shows the band breaking barriers one would least expect, even in light of the expansion in sound that went into Hidden Word. At over 18 minutes, the title track is a seething attack on the societal mistreatment of sex workers. The Pig character is a representation of Robert Pickton, a British Columbia pig farmer on trial for the murder of 26 prostitutes, leaving the song a somewhat bitter experience.

Jennifer Castle takes vocals to lead things off in the song before changing the duty over to regular vocalist Pink Eyes. However, her brief appearance still manages to inject a false sense of security in the listener, perhaps leading them to think that things aren't going to get too rough. However, the calm isn't long-lasted. The song that takes the listener on an exhilarating musical ride, much like their song "Crusades" except longer and much more tangled, working in both strings and bongos before its climactic finish.

The B-side roll that "The Black Hats" takes on is one that could end in no way but it being left in the shadows. Despite taking on the epic qualities that made Hidden World so great, "The Black Hats" will have a hard time disclosing a presence, though if given the chance can stand up alongside anything else Fucked Up have done in their strange time as band.

Year of the Pig continues to see Fucked Up take hardcore to increasingly progressive levels. While it may sound as though a certain degree of patience may be required, it's surprisingly easy to slip by in what seems like minutes.