Barghest/Teeth – Split (Review)

Barghest are a black metal band and Teeth are a death/doom metal band. Both are from the US.

Barghest offer up 4 songs on this split, lasting 21 minutes. Although they haven’t been featured on this site before, I’m a fan of Barghest and it was with eager excitement that I first listened to their side of this tasty, tasty release.

Opening with a recording of the rain and some very, very ominous sounds, it’s not long before the band’s clattering, raw black metal is blaring out from the speakers with the force of a dark shadow that you truly suspect might not be a shadow at all, but something altogether more malignant and unpleasant.

I always like the feel that Barghest give off – it’s that feeling of true, authentic black metal. Their music feels dangerous and unhinged. Somehow the band have forced their hatred and contempt into musical form and released it on society; far better this than for them to give in to the misanthropy in other ways.

So yes – fast and rabid, but not without melody or focus. Barghest once more impress with their purity of intent and the sheer aggressive delight that they show through their blisteringly underground performance.

After four tracks of this, it’s time to have a sit down and think about your life.

But we’re not done yet, not by a long shot. Next up is Teeth, and this is a band that I am growing to love more and more with every release.

Teeth’s debut album Unremittance was hugely enjoyable, and their next release, a split with Fister, equally showed off their talented blend of death and sludge metal. I was even more excited to hear Teeth’s contribution to this split, and I was not disappointed.

Due to the fact that so far in their releases none of their songs have exceeded five minutes, I was rather surprised, (and excited), to note that their contribution to this split was a single song lasting a whopping 23 minutes.

Taking their early death metal influences and expanding on them with a vast array of doom, sludge, black and post-metal cues, this latest material by Teeth is their most impressive yet. The band have now truly allowed themselves the space to experiment and push boundaries, further building their own style and voice.

The band’s dissonant death sludge is even more developed on this release, cascading through brutal speed, slow, crushing malevolence and post-whatever nuance. It’s a stunningly enjoyable piece of extremity, one which I can only recommend that you listen to as soon as you can.

I feel this is the band’s best work, and that’s saying something. I can only imagine where they go next with this. Anything’s game.

Two different bands for one very, very good release. This is as essential as it gets extreme metal fans!