Review by Gabrielle DB
Birthed from a joke by musicians with a baseball podcast about merging the names of Major League Baseball player Yasiel Puig and Grindcore band Pig Destroyer, Puig Destroyer delivers seriously good music on their self-titled debut off of No Sleep Records. You may already be familiar with the All-Star lineup: Riley Breckenridge (drums) of Thrice, Mike Minnick (vocals) of Curl Up and Die, Jon Howell (guitar) and Ian Miller (bass) of Kowloon Walled City. The lyrical content on this album is extremely witty with every single track having a baseball theme. Fret not if you are not familiar with this sport, the music is aggressive, with speed and power.
Long time Los Angeles Dodgers’ sportscaster Vin Scully’s voice track welcomes listeners, a clip of opening day for “Baseball: The Best”, the track then rips into Minnick describing the camaraderie that the sport brings among friends. The heavy sound of the music is truly motivating.
“No One Cares About Your Fantasy Team” displays the disdain of a podcaster, or fellow fan, to the building of a dream team; yes, it is as brutal as it sounds. “No Hitter” is inspiring. Every pitcher needs to hear this track and strive for such greatness. “Trumbomb” vividly accounts the constant record setting home runs that Mark Trumbo delivers. This track is of course as powerful as any of Trumbo’s hits. “The Road To Omaha” is the college ball player’s song about reaching the pinnacle of their season competing for the NCAA championship. “Tommy John” is the account of the common ligament reconstruction surgery that baseball pitchers receive; the song is as equally painful as the surgery sounds.
“Batflip” alludes to name sake Yasiel Puig’s signature and eccentric batting ritual. The disregard of baseball etiquette is as brash as this track. The closing track, an ode to one of the best players in the game, “Mike Trout” delivers as well as the man does for his team.
This tutorial on America’s past-time is a twenty track album of pure awesomeness. The songs are quick and genuine, Puig Destroyer is a must listen. Grab this album just in time for postseason, play it again when you’re hankering for the spring, and then continue to keep it throughout the season.
Rating: 4.5/5
Listen to: “Mike Trout”, “No One Cares About Your Fantasy Team” and “No Hitter”