The '90s have returned with a vengeance to shine a bleak light on our modern age through the vehicle of L.A. industrial up-and-comers 3Teeth. Ever-evolving since their 2014 self-titled debut, the band's third major release, Metawar, finds them better realized than ever, capturing a particular sound and era more accurately through growth in their abilities as songwriters and musicians. Any track on Metawar attacks with a heavy wave of '90's/'00s industrial affection.
Standing apart from its predecessors, Metawar takes a half step into a nu-metal sensibility on tracks like "Blackout" or "Time Slave," augmenting instruments with a heavy synth exoskeleton, and yet not so much that it infuriates. Rather, it surfaces a kind of nostalgia for those who were in the midst of that period of metal. But 3Teeth never stray too far from their industrial roots. The severely catchy "President X" builds off of an intoxicating riff-groove combo that even Rammstein would approve of.
One major improvement is that of Alexis Mincolla's vocals, now covering a broader range and offering a shift from the cold, Marilyn Manson-esque monotone that Mincolla had primarily used up to now.
Strangely, the real treat may lie at the very end, as the band come out of left field with what might be one of the best covers in recent memory with their rendition of Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks." As should be the standard for covers, 3Teeth disassemble the song and reconstruct it as their own, to maximum effect.
Metawar will not only please current fans, but will likely win them scores of new blood, simply due to their noticeable growth. This is the most realized and accessible the band have been to date.
