Pig Pen - Mental Madness
“The Bear actor/producer, celebrity chef and YouTube personality Matty Matheson made a lot of noise in the hardcore scene a couple weeks ago when he made the live debut of his new hardcore band Pig Pen, which also features some of Matty’s old friends from the Ontario post-hardcore scene, including Alexisonfire‘s Wade MacNeil, Attack In Black‘s Daniel and Ian Romano (the former of whom is also now a successful country singer), and Tommy Major (who’s also in Daniel Romano’s band Outfit, Young Guv’s live band, and more). Now, they’ve announced an album called Mental Madness that comes out on June 27 via the beloved hardcore label Flatspot Records.” – BrooklynVegan
“Last month, celebrity chef and star of FX’s The Bear Matty Matheson debuted his new hardcore band Pig Pen at a rowdy show in Toronto. Now, they’re announcing their first album Mental Madness and releasing the absolute rager “Mental Mentality.”” – Stereogum
“Heavy Song of the Week: Matty Matheson’s Hardcore Band Pig Pen Burst onto the Scene with “Mental Mentality”” – Consequence
On June 27th, Canadian hardcore outfit Pig Pen will unleash their debut album Mental Madness through Flatspot Records. After making waves with single “Mental Mentality,” the band – Matty Matheson (vocals), Alexisonfire‘s Wade MacNeil (guitar), Attack In Black‘s Daniel Romano (guitar) and Ian Romano (drums), and Tommy Major (bass) – are delivering the next splash with “Rabid Beach.” The single is two chaotic minutes of grimy riffs, gruff vocals, and hammering rhythms. The song gets a video treatment with hand-drawn animation by artist Jesi Jordan, capturing rage and transformation. You can watch the video for “Rabid Beach” HERE and stream the track HERE.
Mental Madness is available for preorder now through Flatspot Records.
After spending months passing along riffs and playlists filled with inspiration, the ten tracks on Mental Madness were written in a day and recorded the next. With a band made up of career musicians, the do-it-yourself approach for the album was a no-brainer, taking the wheel by self-recording and producing. The tracks were sent off to Arthur Rizk (Cold World, Fucked Up, Power Trip) for mixing and Grammy award-winning engineer Alan Douches for mastering. The album packs grit and bounce, combining elements of ‘80s hardcore with true rock and roll flair. The subject matter on Mental Madness sticks to themes that Matheson describes as “mental health shit”: topics like isolation, loneliness, and “letting your mind destroy you.”
“You can be having a beautiful day, surrounded by friends,” Matheson explains, “and your brain can continuously ruin it. No matter how good or bad your life is, you can still hate yourself. I’ve got to ask myself why am I feeling the ways I’m feeling?”
In other words, the record is about experiencing life, feeling all the feelings in the sunshine and the dark corners. Pushing through negative mindsets with positive energy and profound friendship, Pig Pen have created something that is not only a fun release but one that is set to be a landmark album in the genre.
