With 3 solid albums and support slots with the likes of Tool, Ministry and Rammstein, L.A. industrialists 3TEETH like many were slowed down by the great plague. Without that who knows, they could be headlining bigger stadiums themselves but had to down-tools and reconvene to the desert of Joshua Tree to work on follow up to 2019 album Metawar. Back with 11 new songs and a cover there’s an instant appeal in their sound that borders on the sonic bombast of their peers and a catchy and modern accessibility, providing the group with plenty of crossover potential.
From the brooding start of opener ‘Xonogenesis’ with its robotic stomp and stalk along with singer Alexis Mincolla’s scathing vocal snarls they build up an at times grim futuristic scenario but one that is certainly not going to leave the listener all bitter and twisted. Although caustic at times the hard hitting chorus and jaunty synth refrains of ‘Acme Death Machine’ is likely to encourage twitchy energy out of listeners and entice onto club-land dancefloors. Moments of sledgehammer BPM are inserted just to ensure there’s no sleeping in dark corners allowed here. The sound of ‘Slum Planet’ is reminiscent of KMFDM and will get everyone up and jumping around, all that’s missing is a guest spot from Lucia Cifarelli but perhaps that’s a trick for a later date.
Further down the line the spectre of nu-metal is evident and the chorus of ‘Higher Than Death’ could have escaped from a Korn number. On paper that may sound like a horrible proposition but the bombastic heft and boom of the song’s programming and juddering guitars keep it on point and suitably heavy. Similarly, the manic slap and dash and frantic mechanisations with rapid-fire vocals of ‘Ali3n’ cites everything from Slipknot to Pendulum and StaticX. Notably there’s a delicious no doubt unintentional synth-line at song conclusion which thrust me straight back into a childhood scared to death by TV programmes such as Sapphire and Steel. ‘Plutonomicon’ is a slow-burner likely to have fingers singed from cast aloft lighters live until it goes absolutely mental and ‘Paralyze’ gets embellished by gibbering vocal parts and dark hip-hop courtesy of Ho99o9. ‘Scorpion’ most definitely has a sting in its tail and some great Ofra Haza style vocal accompaniments and by the time the Skinny Puppy inflected ‘Drift’ sees the album coasting out it feels like a natural conclusion.
Still one can’t not mention the cover and even though the location of recording may have you expecting U2 its Tears For Fears with happiest hit ‘Everyone Wants To Rule The World’ the band get their teeth into. Be warned though, unless you want this earworm stuck in your head for the next couple of weeks you may find yourself best advised to turn your back on mother nature and cut this highly enjoyable album short.
(8/10 Pete Woods)
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