Bleed on My Teeth

Adorior are a death metal five-piece originally from Sutton in England's West Midlands. Formed in 1994, their recorded output is exceedingly sparse with just three full-lengths and a couple of splits to their name. The band have undergone several lineup changes in their three decades of existence, with vocalist Jaded Lungs (real name Melissa Gray) being the only remaining original member. I hadn't heard of the band prior to this, but on the strength of Bleed on My Teeth, it seems that Adorior are one of the UK's best-kept extreme metal secrets.

This is an album of thrashy death metal with blackened tendencies, but that genre description fails to convey the sheer evil-sounding chaos that is about to assault your eardrums when you put needle to record (or more likely press play on your chosen streaming service). The more I listen to Bleed on My Teeth, the more I am convincing myself that it is a war metal album, albeit with a clearer and less messy production than is often assosciated with the genre. A cursory investigation of their earlier albums reveals that they have toned down the black metal influence on this latest and it sounds even more muscular and bludgeoningly brutal as a result.

Vocalist Jaded Lungs is no angel-voiced siren, but a venomous and vituperative bitch-demon spitting blaphemous and violent tirades interspersed with piercing screams in an evilly disturbing vocal performance that would put the vast majority of her male counterparts to shame and alone makes checking this out mandatory for any connoisseur of the most evil-sounding singers in metal. The lyrics are often exceedingly disturbing, conjuring pictures of scenes I would rather not contemplate too deeply and which show a lot of extreme metal lyricists up for the cop-out wimps they are! Fortunately for us, great though Melissa's vocals are, they are far from the only thing worth hearing on Bleed on My Teeth. The deathly riffs are fast and furious in the main, although the band sometimes drop into more melodic thrash metal riffing, such as the recurrent riff of "Ophidian Strike" which act as an effective contrast to the chaotic mayhem seething around them and feel like a consolidation of all this primal chaos into more coherent and focussed moments when maximum headbanging action can be attained. The proliferation of solos provided by lead guitarist Assassinator feed into the album's chaotic nature, with searing dissonance and Slayer-like short, sharp shocks of screaming howls leaping out at the listener in blistering salvos. And that's all before we get to drummer, Molestör, who is an absolute fucking beast behind the kit. Withering blastbeats are followed by impressively proficient fills as the guy never succumbs to either complacency or fatigue, his kinetic stickwork constantly driving things along in technically impressive and aggressively imaginitive ways.

Despite all these components often giving the impression of chaos, Bleed on My Teeth is actually extremely tight and surprisingly complex for what sounds like such a primal recording. The technical chops of all concerned can be in no doubt and that, combined with the tight songwriting, makes me absolutely amazed that Adorior are not more well-known, especially here in their native UK where we aren't exactly overflowing with top-drawer extreme metal outfits. This is a must for any deaththrash maniacs out there and it's great to know that these British Isles can still put out an album that sounds as fucking me(n)tal as this and that with a cover that is too hardcore for Spotify to show to the public at large!

One of the “wild” representatives of black-colored death metal from the United Kingdom are the English Adorior. Founded in 1994 and active in the underground ever since, the band has only released two full-lengths. After the debut “Like Cutting The Sleeping” in 1998 and the following “Author Of Incest”, album number 3 now comes almost exactly 19 years later, which goes by the name of “Bleed On My Teeth”.

Actually, it doesn't take many words to describe this carnage, because right from the opener “Begrime Judas” you know that there are no prisoners here. Despite the deep, black-colored death metal machinery that breaks over the listener, the listener doesn't just get punched in the face or in the pit of the stomach. No, there are also finely interspersed progressive lead guitars, violent dissonances and occasionally a hint of melody. The shooting gallery shoots from all angles and offers pretty much everything that the black and death metal genres have to offer. With heavy driving beats, rapid drum fire and hyper blast beats, D. Molestör practically knots and unknots his arms. The riffing, which cuts deep into the flesh, and the nasty, throaty vocals, which come across as slightly gurgling and sometimes come up with high screams, ensure a high level of aggression and the bass, which is nicely present but not intrusive, lends additional depth.

Anyone who has read this far will have realized that it's not just banging, even if the overall impression might suggest this. In addition to tempo and beat changes, breaks and progressive guitars, samples are also used time and again. A low-flying plane here, rain and thunderstorms there, or even a “roaring” engine, set one or two small accents and allow the listener to at least take a breath before the air is taken away again. Even if there aren't the big solo moments, the short little ones do their job very well here and set accents. Just like a chorus-like “Hey-hey-hey”.

From a production point of view, there is nothing to complain about and the mix is just as good. Everything comes through the speakers rough, earthy and with plenty of steam. Each instrument and the vocals are given exactly the space they need to avoid being drowned in the desired chaos. Despite the high level of aggression and the aforementioned chaos, the instruments are easy to make out, which sometimes leaves a lot to be desired in such works. It remains to be seen whether everyone will be able to take on this carnage on record, but “live on stage” you'll go wild, there's no stopping you.

Conclusion:
The third Adorior album simply blows the listener away, but at the same time provides them with finely crafted tracks that carry a lot to discover. A deep black, death-metal carnage is unleashed here, drawing you into Adorior's dark, aggressive and all-consuming maelstrom and never spitting you out again. This album is a “black hole” in extreme metal.

Formed back in 1994 Adorior remain the most savage black/death metal band from England. Their long awaited third album of desecration is now set for release via Dark Descent Records and Sepulchral Voice Records on September 27th.

Venomous riffing and pulsating drums convulse into life with mangled vocals completing the savage mix. The instant reek of odious sepulchre fills the air with pure metallic discharge. Following from their disruptive and hostile prior works, the immediate recognition of the band Adorior is unmistakable in all of their primal rage. Taking charge of the thrashing, blackened, deathly flames of heavy metal in an inferno of blistering evil, the opening of this record is pure devastation and wickedness incarnate. Blending the bestial riffing and artillery-like drums, the musicianship on this record feels like the band at its most refined yet. Of course I mean that in the sense of delivering total viciousness, not the wimpy polished way, like the old school maniacs they are. Despite a slight lineup reshuffling over the last few years, the London-based Wolfpack remain mostly the originals and the newer counterparts have clearly earned their keep with a sadistic and malicious performance from all. Oh the start of this record is a fierce one and if you can’t withstand true decimation, turn back fast…

I could sit here and name check legendary bands like Slayer, Possessed, Mercyful Fate and Sarcofago and you might get some ideas to the pool of influences Adorior invoke. Their sound is definitely one rooted in the 80s Metal mastery, yet their untamed spirit takes it into feverish new hell-scapes which are not simply a tribute to some amazing records, but a forward march into oblivion with their sonic ancestors stood alongside them. If you have seen Adorior live (like I have twice, soon to be three times – flyer for the album launch show at the end), you will know that they deliver an unfettered and unwelcoming assault in every sense that is not just stamped into wax but in the air spewed from their lacerated lungs. This is not just a record but a sonic form of corporal punishment to all posers and weaklings trying to infest the death metal underground with their tepid ways and meek outputs. Agonise the dead and take the path of the psycho… Adorior are gonna haunt the chapel, then they’re gonna get ya and have you screaming for vengeance!

From the scathing rain of D. Molestör’s drums to the stringed demonic apparitions of RC, T and S; every note feels like a hammer blow or scythe cut from the beyond. Meanwhile Jaded Lungs remains one of the most intense vocalists ever, spitting blasphemy, violence and carnage with every precise breath. The sense of merciless vengeance in every song is absolute and intoxicating. A band so perverse and visceral is not a simple listen, but those of use who adore these bangers can never be satisfied until we listen repeatedly to their hymns of hatred. I think you readers know the score with me by now, if I tell you a band doesn’t mess around and gives you the real death metal spirit til it overflows from your eye-sockets; I’m not lying. Each of these seven offerings are volatile eruptions of extremity like no other and make for a formidable and impeccable listen. The old school bell tolls for the morbid and crazed, hear the call or go back to your overpriced long-sleeves and circle jerking to mediocre posers.

A mental, frenzied, animalistic opus of true death metal might. Morbid aggressive passion and total uncompromising dedication to the traditions of real metallic evil are the name of the game here. Adorior uphold the unholy underground triumphantly and as one of the most anticipated new albums of a band in recent memory, “Bleed On My Teeth” surpasses even my heightened expectations. Death to the false, weak and indifferent – true heavy metal reigns supreme in the underworld! Don’t break the oath!

Written for www.nattskog.wordpress.com