Review Summary: 3TEETH is a solid release, and while it has some pretty crippling flaws, is still a dark and energetic album that's worth a listen.
When the genre "Industrial Rock/Metal," is mentioned, people usually think of bands like Nine Inch Nails. They're the perfect example. However, it doesn't mean that they are the only ones. Fast-foward to the 2010s and we have a brand new industrial act known as 3TEETH. Hailing from Los Angeles, the group got their big break when it was announced they would be opening for Tool and Primus for Tool's 2016 tour. When the material was heard by fans, people were divided on the decision. The band sounded nothing like Tool, and was frankly a strong industrial act. Their self-titled debut is here, and was released back in 2014. I see there are no reviews for this group yet, so I decided to take it upon myself to give my thoughts on thr L.A. industrial group 3TEETH.
Upon hearing the music, 3TEETH can instantly be derived as being an industrial band. This is the only genre that you could really call this group, as they are purely and utterly industrial. That isn't a bad thing, however it sounds way overdone. Firstly, the keyboards and synths are ***ing everywhere, and are frankly the main focus of the music. They form the melodies and the ambience to the music, and overshadow both the guitar and drums. There is no bass here, so leave the music to guitar, drums and synths. The guitar performances aren't bad, but they're mostly forgettable. The riffs are entertaining and are definitely heavy and energetic, but are drowned out by the keyboards. The drumming is fine also, but sometimes sound too much like the keyboards, so it's hard to tell which is which sometimes. The keyboards, frankly, are the driving force behind the music. They are definitely a fun element to the music, and force the industrial idea on you. However, they're so overdone that it gets boring hearing that instrument so many times. The vocal work is suprisingly raw and catchy. The vocals are very growling, and have a very distorted sound. The sound of the vocals give a gritty edge to the music. However, there frankly isn't enough vocals, and the music is mostly instrumental. The vocals make the music very dark-sounding, however there simply isn't enough of the vocals.
The record's songwriting is not bad at all, however it feels very repetitive and starts to sound the same. "Nihil" is a perfect opener to the album, and showcases how this record is going to work. "Consent" is a boring song, but "Pearls 2 Swine" is a very energetic and powerful song, saving the bore of Consent. "Dust" is also an entertaining song, as is "Master of Decay,". However, by this point it's hard to tell the difference between the songs because it all just sounds way too similar. "Unveiled" is forgettable at most, however "Dissolve" is a very heavy and dark song, and is probably my favorite on the album. The problem with 3TEETH is how everything just sounds the same. It's not that the songwriting is bad, it's that everything just runs in the same sort of fashion. The keyboards are way over-utilized and the vocals are way too UNDER-utilized, and this doesn't change throughout the course of the album. "Eradicate" continues to prove this, however "X-Day" is a solid song that truly rides it's own ride from the rest of the tracks. "Final Product" is also an entertaining song, but "Antiflux" is an average one at best. "Chasm" is a boring filler, and "Too Long Gone" is a simplistic instrumental, but lets the guitar shine. Now, while the songs are pretty repetitive and run in the same way, they are all pretty energetic and entertaining. The album is very fun, and keeps you bangin' your head. The pace is also very consistent, and keeps a fast pace going as the album goes on. While the songs all really sound the same, the album is still fun and energetic, even when being dark and gritty and overall repetitive.
3TEETH's self-titled debut is not a bad album at all. The songs are energetic and dark, the performances are fun and edgy, and the industrial feel of the album is done well. However, the flaws of the album cripple it, and take out some of the enjoyment. The album all runs in the same fashion, and the songs can be way to repetitive. The keyboards also way overused and the rest of the performances are mostly overshadowed by it. However, 3TEETH is a strong release from a pretty solid band, and they do impress. But it becomes apparent that 3TEETH will probably be the most solid industrial act we'll see for a while, and Tool giving them a small spotlight is well deserved. In the end, 3TEETH is a dark and fun release from a very energetic band, and while has some big flaws, is still a solid record and I am excited to see what the group will do next.
Favorite Track: Dissolve
Least Favorite Track: Chasm
