Pig Destroyer’s Blake Harrison Dies at 48

Blake Harrison, who played samples, noise, and other sound design in Pig Destroyer as a full-time member between 2006 and 2022, has died, Blabbermouth.net reports. The band issued a statement on social media commemorating Harrison, writing, “Everyone that knew Blake loved Blake. Light bent around him. You only had to meet him once. We in Pig Destroyer are forever grateful for the time we’ve been able to share with him.” A cause of death was not provided. Harrison was 48 years old.

Harrison was a punk rock fan from his early teens, eventually joining the bands Daybreak and Triac before working behind-the-scenes with Pig Destroyer from 2004. He entered the fold as a full-time electronics musician (and raucous addition to the stage show) as the band recorded its 2007 album, Phantom Limb. He went on to play on 2012’s Book Burner, 2018’s Head Cage, and the 2020 EP The Octagonal Stairway, as well as taking up the bass for the 2016 EP Mass & Volume.

Outside Pig Destroyer, Harrison played in outfits including Zealot R.I.P. and the H. P. Lovecraft–inspired ambient project Tentacles of God; he also collaborated with Matmos, on 2020’s The Consuming Flame: Open Exercises in Group Form, and, more recently, with bands including Sunrot and Blacklisters.

Pig Destroyer:

Blake Hollingsworth Harrison has been our spirit animal for over 20 years.

In the early oughts, Blake’s band Daybreak and Pig Destroyer were both fledgling bands of malcontents fighting to establish our footprint in the scene. Eventually, Blake joined PD in early 2004 helping with merch on the Grind Over UK tour. Thus began a creative brotherhood and friendship that would span over two decades, across many countries, and over several albums.

Blake joined PD as our full time sound designer in the space leading up to Phantom Limb. From there we all learned together how to make a band work. We all shared the same values and basic beliefs in what we were doing while quickly becoming a tight family.

Everyone that knew Blake loved Blake. Light bent around him. You only had to meet him once. We in Pig Destroyer are forever grateful for the time we’ve been able to share with him.

Thank you for everything Blake. Thanks for the million memories, laughs, and stories. You are etched into the bedrock of our lives.

God speed Blake, you rascal. Love you man