Album Review: 3Teeth - EndEx
Reviewed by Tim Finch
The industrial metal scene is an ever active hive of creativity, bubbling beneath the surface and every so often spewing forth an album of great significance. The next album from the genre to rear it’s head is ‘EndEx’ the forth opus from Californian industrialists 3Teeth.
3Teeth first materialised in 2013 as a passion project Alexis Mincolla (vocals) and Xavier Swafford (keys & synth). Through three studio albums they have mesmerised and earned them selves a support slot on Ministry’s 2019 tour of the UK, taking that next step on the ladder before the pandemic hit.
This September they return with their fourth studio offering, ‘EndEx’, and with it the potential for great things.
The album opens with ‘Xenogenesis’, the clanging of the ever familiar industrial sounds that is offered on so many of the genre’s albums, a throbbing bass line underlies the beat. The dark, sinister vocals, harrowing in their growls encompass the listener, the tune dragging you into a place you would not venture alone.
The wonderfully titled ‘Acme Death Machine’ offers a juxtaposed tone, whilst starting frantically it switches things up with softer synth segments and accompanying cleaner vocals. It is by no means a ballad, still containing those jarring sounds 3Teeth have become so good at, but inviting the listener to experiences more depth to their music.
‘Merchant of the Void’ was hailed by our colleagues at Metal Hammer as one of the best new songs, with references to both Jourgensen and Reznor. And they are not wrong, there is a wonderful Nine Inch Nails flavoured beat that resonates throughout. Buzzsaw guitars and synths then build upon its throbbing foundations grinding you into submissions.
As the album progresses ‘Paralyse’ which features Ho99o9 ,has a sinister early Marilyn Manson feel to it. But it’s the vocals the guests offer which make it stand out, allowing it to raise its head above the parapet as unique on album not afraid to stand still.
With the help of Century Media Records, the band have been allowed the time to develop their sound on this album, explore the boundaries that they wont allow themselves to be confined by. Fans of the industrial genre in general will be lapping this up, no doubt an album of the year contender for the genre.
