Happy 4th of July and eve to 3TEETH’s 3rd album METAWAR, coming this July 5th. I will continue to use caps when typing the band name, album, and tracks because that is how it is presented. Should you care; a quick search on YouTube will get you actual music videos, not just lyric videos. I bring this up mainly for the comments people leave regarding the music, which is mostly positive. But many of these comments say they sound like another band with a mix of a different band, plus that other band. There are so many bands being compared that I think it shows the actual unique sound that is being created here.
3TEETH is a band I had not heard of until two month ago. They were a recommendation while I was on a new-to-me music search online. The hard guitars and ability of front man Alexis Mincolla to get so much expression in a deadpan voice to melodic screams hooked me right away. Not only did I find a band that intrigued me, but found out they had two albums full of songs and new songs in the pipeline, serving as the cherry on top. I had been listening to the few songs released already, “AFFLUENZA,” “EXXXIT,” “AMERICAN LANDFILL,” and “PRESIDENT X” before knowing this review would happen. Watching the video for “PRESIDENT X” boosted my appreciation even more; I fully expected an orange caricature of the POTUS to show up, but it goes way beyond that in the best way.
The “PRESIDENT X” track seems to shine brightest on the album for my ear. It has a distinct lead guitar riff and the distorted synth solo that blends so well I was not sure it was a synth until the video was released (Roland System-8 is what they show). This takes nothing away from the others. If you listen to the previous self-titled 3TEETH and second album <shutdown.exe> there is an evolution to the sound they are making today. There were more atmospheric breaks that are not in this album, as well as less synth drums. I keep circling back to the idea that there is a lot of energy in METAWAR and will continue because there are fewer breaks throughout. Each track comes at you like a train with no intention of slowing.
“This was the first record where we weren’t working side jobs and just getting together on free time and cobbling together a record,” Mincolla says. “We put our total focus into this and that helped us find our real sound and hone it. We self-produced our first two albums, and that was cool, but having a producer as experienced as Sean to help push us really brought out our best. And we had a fucking blast.”
The band has been slowly releasing tracks from the first half of the album, which has made the listening experience rather different. It was almost like I had been listening to an EP for several weeks, and a second EP release came out shortly after. There are no other tracks like “BLACKOUT” or “ALTÆR” on the album, as they come across more toned down from the rest of the offerings. The initial song “HYPERSTITION” sets the mood for the overall experience perfectly with its tense buildup and samples of bleak news headlines. Strap in for political, social, angry industrial music commentary on the world around us.
“I wasn’t writing for the left or the right or anything like that,” Mincolla states. “I just wanted to write stuff that reflected the whole insane, absurdist political theater and wrap it all up in this nihilistic approach of bringing it all to an end. There’s something really rewarding about creating this funhouse mirror that we’re holding up to things like the military-industrial complex. You warp it in this sardonic way and reflect it back at people – it’s like sucking the poison out of the mass-production society and then spitting it back in its own fucking face.”
20 years ago I described the “Industrial” genre as metal with samples and synths. I was all-in on that over simplification. It would be irresponsible to keep that same sentiment, not only for the genre, but for this band. 3TEETH takes it from high energy that makes you move, to melodic vocals that make you want to sing along. Every song has a continued sound that stitches it all together so well. The only exception is the last track released, which is a cover of Foster the People’s “PUMPED UP KICKS” that ends the album at track 13. This feels like it would be a hidden bonus track back in the day of tapes and CDs. “THE FALL”’s chorus “wash it all away” makes the whole album feel cathartic and an experience making it such a good closer for the original songs. With all that said, I will continue to be a personality type B and enjoy my leisure time listening to this entire album, and I suggest you do the same when it is released.
10 out of 10
Pros
- Familiar but Unique Industrial Sound
- Great Energy
- Touring Now!
Cons
- My kids ask me to turn it down
METAWAR was created by 3TEETH under the Century Media Records label. It was produced and mixed by Sean Beavan. It launches on July 5th, 2019. The album was provided to us for review. If you’d like to see more of 3TEETH, check out their official website.
Here at GBG we use a rating method that you are more than likely familiar with – a scale of 1 to 10. For clarification, we intend on using the entire scale: 1-4 is something you should probably avoid paying for; 5-7 is something that is worth your time, but probably not at full price; 8-10 is a great album that you can feel confident about buying. If you have any questions or comments about how we rate music, please let us know.
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