Pitchshifter
Peel Sessions 1991-93
UK COLD SPRING RECORDS CSR344CD (2024)
UK band from Nottingham here with a collection of cuts recorded in 1991 and 1993 for the Radio One John Peel show. I never heard them before, but I can certainly dig the appeal of their brand of bludgeoning industrial metal-rock attack, which isn’t too far away from the primal squawl of Head Of David, another yawping noiseter combo whom John Peel would champion on a regular basis. The off-putting cover art here at first led me to expect something nastier and heavier from the musical contents – and there are many more microscope photos of this flea and his parasite buddies in the digipak, for those who savour such details – but Pitchshifter’s music turns out to be dynamic and impactful, not the kind of mindless thrash you sometimes might find on the Earache label.
Actually three of their 1990s albums found a home on Earache, as did Napalm Death of course, but the label was also based in Nottingham suggesting the fomentation and growth of a powerful extreme metal culture in that locality. Pitchshifter likewise favour the expected “grunt-and-roar” vocal style that’s very characteristic of this style, but it was the early 1990s – and it’s far less “extreme” than the dehumanised hateful larynx-shredding that was soon to become such a formulaic feature of Black Metal bands in Europe, or Math Rock in the US. Clayden’s impressive voice-blasts likewise pay close attention to the dynamics of each song, rather than simply providing a steady stream of violent shouty bile, but there’s plenty of cathartic anger to be savoured too from his hard-working tonsils. Carter’s guitar meanwhile employs not a few sound-bending effects pedals too, another slightly “dated” aspect to this great collection, but what a player; I’m wondering if we have here an under-sung minimalist axe-hero who could have out-stared Killing Joke in a psychological battle of wills. It might seem odd to imply that there’s nuance and shade in the guitar parts of an extreme-metal statement, but Carter’s fine work is a new discovery for this jaded ninny. I guess it’s down to the rhythm section of Clayden, M and Walters, D to provide the desired onslaught of “out-of-control juggernaut” movement which is a big part of this band’s unique appeal.
Speaking of appeal, I get the feeling they are still touring today and feeding the desires of many eager crowds of devoted fans. The only thing that’s changed is they discovered dance music – in particular the genres of drum’n’bass, techno and hip-hop – and started to lard these elements into their music, perhaps from 1997 onwards (that’s my personal benchmark date, since it’s when New Forms was first released). Up to that point Pitchshifter were usually aligned with Godflesh, and credited with being co-inventors of this genre of “death industrial” metal, and with coining that exact phrase to describe it. For these reasons, I’m supposing that this snapshot of the “classic” early pre-Techno style will have enormous appeal to die-hard fans of long standing. The band do the right thing in extending proper respect to John Peel, and I’m confident in stating that Maida Vale studios were never the same again after their two “Fight Club” styled sessions. A fine, visceral, limb-loosening record which I recommend. (10/02/2025)