Legends Arising already introduced Teethgrinder in an interview (which you can read here), so I’m just gonna take the precious space provided here to talk about the great debut album of these guys: Misanthropy.

In 2014 Teethgrinder debuted with their Hellbound 7”, a blistering 4-track effort that showcased a fresh mix of grindcore, sludge and hardcore, topped off with the furious vocals of singer Jonathan Edwards. A year later, these Dutchies are back with an album which is even better and more diverse than its predecessor. The band made a lot of progress in the last 12 months, from playing our own L.A. Fest to supporting bands like Tombs and Black Anvil, signing a deal with Lifeforce Records and having Nergal (of Behemoth fame) as a fan. Misanthropy was already written and recorded before all of this happened, and it delivers.

While the grindcore-with-various-influences sound stays in tact, keen listeners will also find (symphonic) black metal, and even some power violence parts in between the very tight, yet crystal clear mix. Although a running time of 45 minutes would seem a bit long for a record like this, this is one of the most intense works I’ve experienced in a very long time. Every song runs over into the next one, most of the time with interesting, spoken samples.

Misanthropy is an album that can appeal to anyone with passion for extreme music. ‘Death of the Individual’ for example takes a more death metal-ish approach before turning into a thrashfest for the last 30 seconds; ‘Vitriol’ has got some short polyrhythmic parts while ‘Iron Jaw’ is a mid-tempo burner. ‘187’ was the best track on Hellbound, and still is on this album (or at least the catchiest), another highlight is the build up to complete chaos in ‘Discomfort’.

Edwards’s vocal delivery is brutally honest, with high pitched screams showcasing fear, anger, hopelessness and sadness; subjects that also sleek through the lyrics. Album opener ‘Rites of Sorow’ (with it’s very melodic lead riff) and the closing title track (an epic 8-minute instrumental) show us that Teethgrinder can do even more than they already do on this record. Luckily, this band writes as fast as it plays, as there are more releases planned for the near future. My advise, listen to this record below and support these guys!

Track list – Misanthropy

1. Rites of Sorrow
2. Hope in Death
3. Waste
4. Desolation
5. Death of the Individual
6. Vitriol
7. Iron Jaw
8. Discomfort
9. 187
10. Plagued by Existence
11. Abandoned Light
12. Misanthropy

You can order Misanthropy HERE, it is out now on Lifeforce Records.

Teethgrinder: Website / Facebook / Bandcamp

Written by Niels Koster