Metal Underground.com

A few years back, members of Converge, The Hope Conspiracy, and Bloodhorse got together to distill violence on us all under the name All Pigs Must Die. “God is War” was a fine debut that was able to wrestle demons out with its metallic hardcore meets grind/death metal and to crush spines with its slow-moving tempos. They could have easily just kept to this approach with their second album, but the band has found some way to crank up the intensity and noise even further on “Nothing Violates This Nature.”

The always-reliable Kurt Ballou returns behind the scenes to provide a hand in giving All Pigs Must Die a leg-up. The album sonically is better than their debut, and the band plays with melodic textures in a far greater manner. Though they expressed some of that on “God is War” with the title track and “Sadistic Vindicator,” it leaves a bigger impression behind on this album. Stripped-down guitars on “Bloodlines” and “Of Suffering” pack the middle of the record with a broader scale.

The occasional foray into softer melodies in no way discredits the fury that beckons from the hands and/or voices of each musician. The band’s seedy, grind-heavy side gets more space on the album, with three of the 10 tracks under two minutes. It will be a challenge in the future for them to write a track as fierce as “Aqim Siege.” A mashing of cymbals is all that leads into “Chaos Arise,” a top-notch opener that is fueled by the blaring “Silencer,” which makes no notion of quieting itself.

What is most apparent with this album is the steps taken to improve any flaws or faults with their last album. Though there weren’t many, there were a few plodding spots, most notably in the eight-minute “Sadistic Vindicator.” Filler is not in the game plan for All Pigs Must Die, and even spaced-out tracks like “Articles of Human Weakness” have a drive that moves them without any hitches. The band always seems to be looking ahead, not trying to slow down too much to the point that the music gets mundane.

“God is War” was a formidable album, but “Nothing Violates This Nature” outshines it in several aspects. The restraint shows a far-reaching melodic stance, while the grind and death metal-infused cuts punch up the damage. Though this album is roughly the same length as their last one, the pacing this time is much smoother. When a song does take a breather, it’s a smart and worthwhile excursion. All Pigs Must Die is not some name-dropping side band, which is proven by the unstoppable “Nothing Violates This Nature.”