An ordinary offering – review of “The Teeth of Time” by Drouth

Portland’s extreme metal scene has long established itself as fertile ground for innovative, boundary-pushing acts. Which is why I am super excited to review Drouth‘s latest offering “The Teeth of Time”. The album arrives with considerable expectations, especially given the involvement of legendary people in mixing and mastering.

While the album in itself is an enjoyable listening experience, unfortunately, the final product falls somewhat short of the promise suggested by these credentials. The mix frequently becomes too consistent during more complex passages, with instruments bleeding into one another and obscuring the musical ideas underneath. The vocals sound like they are coming from inside a glass bottle, and they lack distinction.

Over the course of its 40-minute duration and five tracks, “The Teeth of Time” features some genuine moments of creativity, especially in the title track. The band’s attempts to combine death metal with black aesthetics are quite successful, but sometimes I wonder where they actually lead.

Drouth revisits a few well-known themes without offering new insights; this feels a bit surface-level rather than immersive, which can be considered a bit odd for the genre that the band is offering. The visual aesthetic of Matt Stikker’s artwork is very captivating, sometimes overshadowing the music it accompanies. The band, though, has definitely intriguing concepts!

“The Teeth of Time” ultimately registers as a decent entry in the modern extreme metal landscape. For a band with Drouth‘s experience and connections, listeners would be justified in expecting more. It neither advances the genre nor establishes a compelling identity for its creators, but I’m confident that this is just the beginning for the group!

Tracklist:

1. Hurl Your Thunderbolt Even Unto Death
2. False Grail
3. The Teeth of Time
4. Through a Glass, Darkly
5. Exult, Ye Flagellant