🌶️ To The Teeth: In Flames, Delain, Häxanu, Lamb of God & Kreator, Dawn Ray'd, Manowar and much more!

In the nightshade eclipse

Welcome to the all new To The Teeth newsletter! Your weekly update of new heavy music. You can listen to almost everything in the playlist on Spotify. If you like what you read and want help keep this in the air: please head over to Patreon or to Bandcamp: The Taste of Teeth (also for some merch). Peppers are hot 🌶️!

New albums

🌶️ Häxanu (black from the USA. FFO: Misþyrming, Spectral Wound, Sargeist)

When Alex Poole is connected to a release, I’m interested. Entheogen, Chaos Moon, Krieg, Ringarë or Skaphé, all his projects and bands are top notch. In Häxanu he teamed up with the vocalist from Lichmagick (another very cool band), and it’s as intense and vitriolic as you’d hope. Great riffs, compelling melodies, subtle synths, haunting vocals. Fantastic release.

🌶️ Willoos (depressive black (but not very depressive) from The Netherlands. FFO: An Autumn for Crippled Children, ColdWorld, Woods of Desolation)

A first new Willoos lp in over 10 years! Willoos is producer and Laster-singer Wessel Reijman’s solo project. He’s an important figure in the Dutch black metal scene, as he produces, mixes or plays in a lot of the bands that make that scene zo vibrant and exciting. His Willoos is less danceable, but all the more compelling. It’s sad that this is the project’s last outing.

🌶️ In Flames (melodic death. FFO: Dark Tranquillity, At The Gates, The Halo Effect)

Well, no, I didn't think I’d put an In Flames record up here with a pepper in 2023. I don't have to tell you anything about the classics this band has made, and how they spiralled into a steaming pile of badness the last two decades. Great new album? Well, it’s a very welcome step back into the fold, I’d say.

🌶️ Frozen Dawn (melodic black from Spain. FFO: Dissection, Necrophobic, Sacramentum)

Highly melodic, riffy, very infectious black metal from the country of Camarón. Apparently this is album number 4 from these guys, but it’s the first I’ve heard from them - thanks to excellent label Transcending Obscurity (quite the fitting name).

🌶️ Delain (symphonic from The Netherlands. FFO: Epica, Within Temptation

It’s no secret I’m a very big Charlotte Wessels fan - she was on my compilation because I love what she does plus she’s a great person. It was sad to see the dissolution of her band Delain, it felt off. But band drama aside, Delain is back with an almost completely new line-up. The sound is the same. Songwise it’s not the same, it’s not brilliant - but it’s enjoyable for anyone half interested in the genre. I did have a laugh reading the press release calling this album ‘game-changing’.

🌶️ Marble Dagger (folk/black from France. FFO: Urfaust, Hexvessel, The Ruins of Beverast)

I love a friday surprise! This is a completely new project I know nothing about, just that Antoine Kerbérénès is the sole member, and it sounds fucking cool. Two parts neofolk, one part black metal, and a sprinkle of grunge. The vocals on this thing are amazing, the songs are really good.

There’s more: Black Water Sunset (melodic prog death from the USA - feat guests George Kollias (Nile) and Matt Harvey (Exhumed, Greusome)), a split from Nucleus & Azath (both death from the USA), Oak (🌶️ atmospheric funeral doom/death from Portugal), Messe Mortuaire (death from France), Lotus of Darkness (folk black from Thailand), Atomwinter (death from Germany), Cadaver Shrine (death/doom from The Netherlands - a Mories project), and Deviser (melodic black from Greece).

New singles

There are new songs out from: Lamb of God & Kreator (groove/metalcore from the USA + thrash from Germany - this is a collaboration I didn’t see coming. Sad fact: they originally wanted the late Riley Gale to do the vocals. But: all proceeds from this single go to a non-profit Gale worked with, Dallas Hope Charities), Ulthar (🌶️ black/death from the USA), Poison Ruïn (🌶️ dungeon post-punk? from the USA), Manowar (heavy from the USA), Dawn Ray’d (🌶️ black from the UK), Omega Infinity (black/death from Germany/Australia - w/ member of Ne Obliviscaris), Unfelled (atmoblack from Australia), Witch Ripper (🌶️ stoner/sludge from the USA), Minenwerfer (🌶️ black from the USA), Sortilège (heavy from France - featuring Myrath), Qwälen (🌶️ black from Finland), Entropia (🌶️ black/sludge/post from Poland), Spotlights (shoegaze/doom from the USA), Enforcer (heavy/speed from Sweden) and a first solo song from Leprous-singer Einar Solberg (🌶️ prog from Norway).

Non-metal & next week

Non-metal album of the week: Lisa O’Neill (folk from Ireland)

I’m looking forward to next week because of: Ulthar, Tulus & Hellripper.

What was your favourite? Do you like the new newsletter? Should I change anything? What did I miss? Let me know!