For a
Pigface album, A New High in Low is a relatively small affair. Rather than the legions of industrial stars that appear on other of their albums, this time round bandleader
Martin Atkins has chosen to work with a much smaller lineup, and a less star-studded one too. The only
Pigface regulars to appear are
Genesis P-Orridge,
Ministry's
Louis Svitek, and former
Killing Joke drummer Paul Ferguson. Members of Chemlab and industrial poetess
Meg Lee Chin also contribute. This time round
Atkins works on the songs with only one or two other people, which gives the impression it's more of a solo album than a
Pigface one, but it also gives a much more cohesive sound. These songs sound like they are the work of band rather than a loose collective. It works too; "Nutopia," featuring Chin's smooth tones, is one of
Pigface's finest songs, as are the techno-infused "More" and "Methylated." The two tracks titled "Howler: An English Breakfast" seem self-indulgent and pointless, but for the most part this is a tight and well-constructed collection of songs. ~ Jim Harper