3TEETH, METAWAR - album review
LA industrial metalheads 3TEETH have always seen themselves as more than just a band.
The five-piece, led by Alexis Mincolla, have always described themselves as more of a "multimedia art project built on the chassis of a band".
Their live shows have always garnered attention, as have their high octane records of which this - METAWARE - is the third.
Made up of 13 tracks, if readers were to picture Korn, Rob Zombie and Rammstein meeting in a darkened room to craft a charity track to promote awareness of listening to brash, heart-thumping music then some of this might make the cut of their final recording.
Huge industrial walls of sound run roughshod over the landscape, swallowing everything up as they progress.
The danger-infused atmospherics created by the production of Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson) are deliciously aggressive. It's like an abrasive liquid being poured on your soul and asking what you are going to do to cope with it.
Unlike a lot of records, it is actually the second half that is smack in the face after smack in the face of killer material.
The section starting with The Slave, and closing with their wonderful cover of Foster The People's Pumped Up Kicks, it's a non-stop, fun-filled ride through anger.
The big hitting chorus of The Slave is magical. And it explodes fully into a swamping instrumental breakdown masterminded by the synth skills of Xavier Swafford.
The instant guitar-fuelled adrenaline of Sell Your Face 2.0 and the more slowly-building claustrophobic feel of The Fall are at the opposite ends of the spectrum of sound these guys can create. And both are as engrossing as each other. The latter, in particular, soars with its pained and slow-burning chorus full of anguish over the top of Justin Hanson's heavy tub thumping.
The guitars of Chase Brawner run riot throughout. He launches the main aural assault as the different elements come together under the creative ears of Swafford and Mincolla.
It's a rip-roaring ride to the edge of the world by a group of hugely creative guys who already count the likes of TOOL, Rammstein and HIM as artists supported.
They want to wage war on the modern, social-media obsessed world with this record and it's a great way to get noticed.
Rating: 9/10
3TEETH play at Birmingham's O2 Institute this Thursday, supporting Ministry alongside Deadfimstar
