Review: “Fracture/Decompose” by Cutting Teeth

Leeds quartet Cutting Teeth aka James Thurlby, Jono Roberts, Nathan Euington and Adam Jones have been making waves of late with single “Diathesis” hitting 13k worth of YouTube streams in a month at the time this review was written. They come from a city with a number of emerging talents and follow hot on the heels of recent Stay Sick Recordings signings Values. Perhaps taking their name from a track by The Haunted from 2014’s “Exit Wounds“, they’ve signed to The Noise Cartel and spent the last 12 months going on a journey that has lead to “Fracture/Decompose“. It’s already received a three K review in Kerrang Magazine and positive remarks from Alt Press. Let’s not forget though, this isn’t the bands first rodeo. It’s a sophomore EP following October 2018’s “First Cut” and interestingly doesn’t include April or May singles “No Mercy” or “Aggressor”…

…instead Cutting Teeth go straight for the jugular with “Blistered”. After some feedback they cut straight into some Chaotic Hardcore riffs with banshee witch caustic vocals, the call of “I’m not in control of myself sometimes” whizzing around the brain like a bullet ricochet. By the end the music isn’t as chaotic as it threatens to be, the band pulling firmly on the reigns and directing the coach before the horses have the opportunity to drag the cart out of control. The aforementioned single “Diathesis” has been a big track for Cutting Teeth already and it sits well in the context of the EP. It’s anthemic chantable chorus is what makes the point of difference but make no mistake, nothing has been sacrificed to allow for it. Groovy riffs with Doom esq tones make for the heart of the bands sound and they stick to what they do like glue. The baseline on this cut is a winner, standing up against the guitars of popping out in the mix. There is an opportunity for a bass solo at the start of “Ghost Blood” before the band return to the Hardcore energy with aplomb and it makes for a great riser, the screams of “No remorse” sounding out like canon fire against the silence of a city night.

Morse Code at the start of “Muscle Memory” acts as a mid EP pallette cleansing breather before the track kicks in at breakneck speed, offering riffs akin to Oxford Hardcore Punks MSRY is and some throat shredding higher pitched vocals. Slowing things down a notch and introducing some inventive licks before a mid tempo breakdown that closes the track in Mosh pit worthy style, it’s a winner. The most chaotic track is “Misanthropy” which sounds like Ithaca playing a Dillinger Escape Plan cover in hell for leather style during its opening salvo. The polyrhythmic solo is an off kilter piece of madness that works really well and slowing down for a closing breakdown section again knits the track neatly into the EP’s overall sound. By complete contrast “A Reason To Give” is a meloncholic track that has a stare out into the ocean from a high cliff top introduction. It builds into some bigger riffs but never loses it’s atmospheric, which is testimony to the musicianship of the band. It’s Post Hardcore heart shows some different influences and wouldn’t fit anywhere else on the sound track [7.5/10]

Track listing

1. Blistered
2. Diathesis
3. Ghost Blood
4. Muscle Memory
5. Misanthropy
6. A Reason to Give

“Fracture/Decompose” by Cutting Teeth is out now.

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