When Matty Matheson isn’t busy being a chef, filming FX/Hulu series The Bear (he plays Fak), or posting videos to his popular YouTube channel, he fronts the Toronto hardcore band Pig Pen. The group, which also includes his old scene pals Wade MacNeil (Alexisonfire), Daniel and Ian Romano (Attack In Black), and Tommy Major (of Daniel’s solo band the Outfit), formed during the pandemic, just made their live debut last week, and have now announced their debut album. It’s titled Mental Madness and will be out June 27 via Flatspot.
Pig Pen say they were inspired by the hardcore and punk they grew up with, and the 10 songs on the album were apparently written in one day, and recorded the next. Arthur Rizk (Fucked Up, Power Trip) mixed the album and it was mastered by Alan Douches (Converge, LCD Soundsystem, The Dillinger Escape Plan).
Read more: Alexisonfire on Otherness – “There’s a new sense of confidence with this band”
Matheson says of the album’s title and themes, “You can be having a beautiful day, surrounded by friends, 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?”
The first appetizer for the album is ripper “Mental Mentality” and the video was shot at Pig Pen’s first show. You can watch that below.
Pig Pen – Mental Madness
1. Rabid Beach
2. Heat Wave
3. Pig Pen
4. Power Love Train
5. Mental Mentality
6. Highway
7. Venom Moon Rising
8. Problem Mind
9. Howl & Veil
10. XJXIXDX
![Gucci Mane – Preference [Official Music Video]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sULF4zrX6XA/maxresdefault.jpg "Gucci Mane – Preference [Official Music Video]")