Hamburg based No God Only Teeth are one of those genre defying outfits that are extremely hard to classify, their extreme music skirts the fringes of a raft of styles without really concentrating on one. It is absolutely fair to say that whilst this could come across as a total mess this anonymised five-piece band (they only have letters for their names on investigation) knows exactly how to goad the listener with the seven tunes on offer. Previously the band released a two-track demo in 2020, a much rawer debased affair than the full length as the two tracks on said demo appear on the album, albeit modified both in duration and sound. There is an uneasy listening experience to be had with ‘Placenta’ its nuances and sonic extremity perfectly blended to create a dissonant yet highly explorative album.
Density and implosive heaviness are something this release delivers by the truckload as the nine-minute opener ‘Gegenlicht’ also appeared on the demo, but here is nearly a minute longer and benefits from the substantial and highly defined production. The eerie scraping intro phase is unsettling, creating an atmospheric dread that gradually leads into an oppressive riff that crawls and slithers on its belly with undying terror. What lifts the album aside from the music into something more monumental is the vocals, some of the most intense and terrorising you’ll ever hear. The gradation in tone and emotive violence makes your skin wither and decay every time they are unveiled. Touching base with sludge metal the opener has a claustrophobia that is suffocating yet is uplifted by some fine post-rock guitar work producing a masterful epic opener.
‘Safer’ cuts the song duration down a few minutes wielding a calmer, bereft melody that edges the song into creepy realms as the post rock like guitar work has that haunting ethos that genre always possesses. The build-up is excellent, each passing moment layering on palpable emotion until the impacting riff change threatens to crumble your skeleton. There is a bleakness here too, embedded in the vocals but also the way the tempo morphs very slowly, like sonic shapeshifting as ‘Stockholm’ follows. Here we get a band that wants to unsettle you, delivering a crust like riff and accompanying escalation in speed. The sludge like blending manifests a miasmic like dirge when the pace reduces, ensuring momentum and that sense of impetus never ever wanes.
’15.37.12’ also featured on the demo but is marginally shorter here as the semi acoustic beginning has that unnerving atmosphere this band injects so easily, accompanied by desolate throat shredding. As the song develops you can feel the tension building to the riff break, which is utterly barbaric yet inherently catchy in its own way. The abrupt speed switch was unexpected and virtually hits blast beat speed as the tune utilises excellent tempo dynamics for a tune oozing malevolence. Every track here offers something different and even whilst I am writing this review, I am hearing something new on every song as ‘Raffer’ is another epic construction spanning nine minutes. Dense, foreboding and instilled with a sense of horror, this track has a masterful sludge metal approach that merges with post-hardcore vitriol. The snare roll bridge is awesome allowing the song to flow down a far denser tunnel of unmitigated abhorrence right until the sudden change. Being more gentile, the song focuses on the vocals with added cymbal work before the fine melody insertion sees the song start build back again towards a more aggressive phase with a sublime hook.
Closing effort is ‘Matters’ where distorted guitar work feeds into the bands ability to craft such hostility, yet without any sign of detonating speed. The sequential intensification is fantastic, leading into a cracking riff that will hook you in with its catchiness yet saturating asphyxiation. The colossal plummet in pace into sludge territory allows the song to refocus the vocals in your directions as the opacity envelops the listener. There is something about his tune that had me hypnotised, whether it is the vocals, the catchy riff or just the unassailable terror the song has, it unfolds with a menace that transfixes. Into its last couple of minutes and you get a slight elevation in atmosphere as the guitar work shifts into post-rock, meandering beautifully until the wondrous change and riff deviation seeing a fine increase in speed that unleashes an awesome riff to take the song to its conclusion.
An exceptional debut from No God Only Teeth, who knows where this band will go on forthcoming releases, but here and now this is a set of exceptional songs crafted by a band who knows exactly how to get the most from every song they write. Staggering indeed!
(9/10 Martin Harris)
Leave a Reply