To celebrate the 15th anniversary of this unnerving masterpiece being released, we spoke to Pig Destroyer vocalist J.R. Hayes about the album and the creation of its iconic if horrific cover.
When you think back on recording Terrifyer, what immediately comes to mind? What are your gut reactions or memories?
It was a ton of work but also a ton of fun. Even by our standards, we were very hands-on with all aspects of the recording, art, layout, etc. There were so many ideas floating around that it was hard just to keep it all organized. Five of the songs from that session didn't even make the record and I still have a whole notebook of lyrics that I never got around to using.
Were Terrifyer and Natasha always a combined effort, or did you choose to couple one with the other later?
They were both conceived at the same time, and the lyrics are obviously from the same head space as the Terrifyer lyrics and the story in the booklet, so for me, they belong together. I kind of wish they were still packaged together, but it's also kind of cool that Natasha is it's own thing now. I guess it depends on what day you ask me.
Is there a song on Terrifyer that, 15 years later, you still think is as awesome as anything you've written?
Scarlet Hourglass is probably my favorite Pig Destroyer song.