Pigface: A New High In Low

When Pigface goes all out with guest performers and cameos, the most interesting thing about the music is usually going to be the liner notes. When the center of the storm, drummer Martin Atkins, pulls into his shell with only a handful of collaborators, things tend to become more interesting. Pigface's latest album, A New High In Low, is much the latter, despite its suspicious two-disc length. A New High begins with a simmering low buzz, then turns into a fine collection of contemporary industrial music. Atkins is a great percussionist, as well as a solid sound manipulator: He metes out aggressive, thunderous beats and introspective electronic ambience in equal portions, smoothing things out when it starts to become too much. The only factor undermining Pigface's music here is the occasionally inane vocal performances, which include a woman paraphrasing Ginsberg and updating it with a "postmodern twist." The other downside is that the cover is sort of cluttered and ugly, defeating the purpose of a gatefold CD jacket. For anyone who's tired of being let down by Pigface's albums, A New High In Low more than makes up for past sins.