Teeth Engraved With the Names of the De — Starving the Fires (Pt.1)
From the creepy, atmospheric opener, "Radians," to the long, rough, burning factory endpiece, "When Storms Come," Starving the Fires (Pt.1) is 70 minutes of bleak, industrial joy. Slowly creeping like fog over a dimly lit port, "Radians" kicks the album off with enough atmosphere to choke even the mighty Galactus. Distant, almost muted highs play like foxfire above the thick, misty blanket rolling in. Moving more toward a traditional industrial makeup, "Vital Reaction" and its long synth notes grow in distorted ferocity in their attempt to swallow the vocal sample traveling behind them. Like a slow elevator ride in an abandoned factory, the overview of the rust and decay of a buzz that once was becomes apparent. If machines had ghosts, this would be their chorus. Although gorgeously grim, one has been getting off lightly up til this point. "Shredded Sky, Hung in Tatters" makes the grimness personal. Bringing the grief of machines closer, fuzzy, buzzing, slowly ambulating layers swirl toward the listener. A distorted vocal helps to confuse while the machine spirit continues its attack. The lows that work their way in toward the end show the unwelcome fate to which the listener has succumbed. The crispy, crunch of robotic aftermath makes "Lacerate" shine. Fitfully burning over low, bellowing machine rebirth, long feedback drones propel the track forward over the wreckage of an automated past. Much like the jump to "Shredded Sky," "Broken From Inside" changes gears and brings the tone to a more personal level. The vocals are slow and fairly tortured and bring the experience back to the human side after the machine holocaust. Brooding, crunchy, and low, this track shows the grim, atmospheric side of death industrial very well. From the depths, though, comes the apotheosis. Rising up like a phoenix, the human/machine hybrid comes to the fore in "When Storms Come." Starting with a torn, dusty, metallic wind, the track moves along with the debris of war builds and collects in the vortex. With the addition of new textures and constant movement, this 25 minute monster continues to be engaging despite it's hefty run time. It's a strong finish to a strong album.
Teeth Engraved With the Names of the Dead is not only a mouthful, but it's also a very pleasant earful. Well, pleasant in the "grim, noisy, oppressive industrial" sense. With a debut as solid as this, I'm sure Teeth Engraved will be impressing us for years to come.