Review Summary: Class is in session.
Regular users (i.e. me) cannot rate in more specific increments; for all intents and purposes, consider the score 3.8/5
Inevitably, what crippled the so-called ‘beatdown’ or ‘downtempo’ movement in the hardcore scene was its primary appeal: total heaviness. The concept seemed innocent enough from the beginning and certainly had an attractive appeal—the utter brutality transported by the crushing riffs practically forced rigorous headbanging—but soon deteriorated due to the straightforward manner in which it was delivered. Many of the scene’s forerunners stripped back their sound to the extent where heaviness was all that was left; no distinguishable songs remained, blended together in a haphazard composition of one monotone chug after the next. Inside this cacophony, a degenerating notion about heaviness as a whole seemed to develop, where the term was immediately associated with simple abrasiveness. It became normal for listeners to immediately organize so-called ‘heavy’ releases into a stereotyped box, and bands, rather than innovating, followed trends that perpetuated said labels. Interest began to wane as more and more collectives jumped on the bandwagon in great numbers, and more fans realized the toxic complacency that was emerging. Market demand for the subgenre quickly dwindled in the oversaturation. However, in its wake, the negative tags it established remained. Far from being confined in one location, its implications stretched into other related realms such as sludge metal and doom metal. The taboo had seemingly been codified into law.
Excluding this aspect of music in its entirety unfairly punishes any artist attempting to make a dent in a given classification, be it hardcore or otherwise. Instead of applying the exploited beatdown crusade as an unshakable rule, it should be viewed critically as a lesson to both appreciators and producers alike—that too much of one thing or otherwise abusing a trend can have consequences. Not only that, but it quite plainly generates boring arrangements. Whether Easy Prey sat down and analyzed this situation to death or not is not made explicit. Probably, the Texas group recognized the basic idea that heavy music does not need to be devoid of melody or a semblance of differing structure between tracks. Nearly all of the entries presented on debut record
Teeth are permitted to have personality of their own, varying in their tempos and alternating in the riffs utilized. For anyone holding an adverse preconception of heaviness, the increased beat on “Blind Ambition,” coupled with a devastating central guitar assault and an appropriately aggressive vocal performance will wipe away doubts. Much like its companion tracks, “Blind Ambition” is absolutely relentless in its approach. A bulky discord, made slightly fuzzy by the production and amped up by a destructive bass (the part on “Closed Doors” being the go-to example), characterizes
Teeth in general. Easy Prey up the entertainment value by inserting a surprising amount of nuance; the dissonant supporting riff on sure highlight “Weak Knees” adds a layer of intrigue not often exhibited by similar acts. Cleaner passages appear again to act as the foundation for “Flattery,” pushing the audiophile down a dark journey of overwhelming, yet controlled, dissonance.
It is important to note that this does not necessarily place Easy Prey substantially beyond the competition.
Teeth lacks true immunity to aforementioned critique and the album does not shy away from this. Regardless of the positive attributes displayed, tunes can easily fall into the traps downtempo acts had previously encountered, where a lapse in concentration can lead a listener to mistaking one song for another; back-to-back “Stuck Out At Sea” and “Vultures” run this risk the most, bearing many similarities in performance and length. Formulaic verse-chorus-breakdown progressions are employed on more than a handful occasions. Yet, it is equally important to once again assert that Easy Prey demonstrate considerable ability and a desire to step outside of the status quo. By injecting engaging elements like cohesive melody and changing speeds, the band does not sacrifice the heavy core of their sonic attack on the audience. The groove created by every construction on
Teeth rumbles out of the speakers and dominates whatever space the individual is inhabiting at the moment. Aspects often taken for granted, subtlety and the bass chief among them, are given purpose, not functioning as an afterthought—their inclusion is meaningful to the final product. Anyone that is still hesitant is better suited allowing the explosive opener “Teeth” to grab them by the throat and show what a real beatdown sounds like. Innovation might not be the key word to apply here, but by the time
Teeth kicks off, it’s better to forget words entirely and turn up the volume.
