“Who on earth are Showing Teeth?” I wondered as I scanned down the names of a line up poster a friend had sent me. “Piercing metalcore from Nashville, Tennessee” said the little descriptor below their Logo – something I’d later find out to be incredibly accurate.
It was a list of supports for a Bring Me the Horizon show they had got tickets for in Manchester. BMTH were to be playing their very first album, Count Your Blessings, and had a wonderful cast of support acts in for the ride, with Showing Teeth being late additions. When I looked them up there was a handful of singles on Spotify but that’s all, which was enough to induce my curiosity.
Showing Teeth as it turns out is the brainchild of Addison – a singer / songwriter who has created a strong online presence showcasing her powerful vocal abilities creating content on TikTok and Instagram. Her debut EP “A Fate Worse than Loneliness” is a blistering 19 minutes of metalcore with vocals varying from serene cleans to outright violent deathcore screams whilst showcasing a good range of other influences throughout.
The switch from growls and screams to sickly sweet pop vocals can seem a bit abrupt, notably in the single “Labyrinth” which the cynic in me believes this is done for shock and awe as opposed to serving the song and it wears a bit thin after a few listens – it’s technically very impressive and if done live (which I have no doubt it would be) then it’s even more so.
I do find the album improves as we go on through – “Make It Out” is classic Metalcore, with guitars that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Killswitch Engage song and a simple song structure that gives the listener a break from the deathcore style vocals that dominated the track before. “Rip” throws us back into the ring, with an onslaught of crushing riffs and more intricate, progressive sounds – the deathcore vocals return here but I feel the transition between the styles is a lot better. I was pleased to see there’s variety in the way the vocal styles are employed, showing a good level of restraint and taking the listener on a journey rather than just beating them around the head the entire time.
“Shallow Grave” and triumphant closer “Paradigm” gives me Spiritbox vibes, which is a lazy comparison but one I mean as a compliment as I think Spiritbox are mint. It shows a gentler side with good use of electronic bliss throughout accompanying heavier elements.
Overall, it’s a strong EP showing plenty of promise and I’m looking forward to hearing what comes next. Showing Teeth has attracted a lot of attention from this EP as far as I can tell (I mean, it’s signed with Spinefarm…) so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them appear on more line up posters in the very near future (probably Download Festival, 4th stage, middle of the afternoon, calling it now).
Best accompanied with a 15 minute workout and 5 minutes of cool down.
Reviewed by Steve.
Showing Teeth – A Fate Worse Than Loneliness is out now on spinefarm.
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