PIGFACE

PIGFACE is an American industrial rock collective formed in 1990 by drummers Martin Atkins and William Rieflin. Born from the ashes of Ministry’s highly influential The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste tour, the project was conceived not as a fixed band, but as a revolving-door super-collective intended to foster collaborative experimentation among the extensive network of musicians within the burgeoning industrial and alternative music scene, particularly those associated with Chicago's seminal Wax Trax! Records label.

The Revolving Door Philosophy

The defining characteristic of Pigface is its fluid, ever-changing lineup. Atkins and Rieflin, who enjoyed the dynamic of dual percussionists during the Ministry tour, envisioned a project that could keep evolving, drawing from a phonebook of talented, like-minded artists. This led to a roster of collaborators that spans dozens—if not hundreds—of musicians across various genres, including:

• Industrial Icons: Nivek Ogre (Skinny Puppy), Chris Connelly (Revolting Cocks), En Esch (KMFDM), Paul Raven (Killing Joke), and Genesis P-Orridge (Throbbing Gristle).

• Alternative Stars: Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Danny Carey (Tool), Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Jimmy Chamberlin (The Smashing Pumpkins), and Black Francis (Pixies).

While Rieflin eventually departed, Martin Atkins became the driving force, organizer, and sole constant of the collective, using Pigface as a platform to constantly remix and recontextualize industrial rock, often with unpredictable results.

Style and Legacy

Pigface's musical style is firmly rooted in industrial rock, characterized by aggressive, noise-infused rhythms, heavy reliance on multiple drummers, and a willingness to explore controlled chaos. Due to the shifting personnel, the sound on each of their studio albums—such as the debut Gub (1991), Fook (1992), and A New High in Low (1997)—is unique, though always driven by the core elements of pounding percussion and electronic textures.

The band's live performances are notorious for their high-energy spectacle and the sheer number of musicians on stage, sometimes featuring upwards of forty people trading instruments and sharing microphones. This communal, uncompromising spirit embodied the anti-commercial, DIY ethos of the industrial scene and served as a launchpad for several artists' later solo or side projects, notably helping to cultivate the career of Trent Reznor, whose song "Suck" was co-written and sung with Atkins for Pigface before Reznor re-recorded it for Nine Inch Nails' Broken EP. Pigface continues to exist in a state of intermittent activity, with Atkins preserving its legacy through tours and events.