NTW

Although I prefer to review full albums, sometimes shorter works can excite me enough to review them, especially if it is my favorite band. This EP called “Nice Teeth Whore” or abbreviated as “NTW”, perfectly exemplifies the most authentic and pure sound of Lord Mantis, its hallmark being the perfect amalgam between black metal and the dark sludge that they are capable of creating.

In this EP the sonorities of black metal become much more present and clear, without losing that dirty, slow and cavernous sound that penetrates deeply into the psyche, Andrew Markuszewski's riffs are as sinister and perverse as always, the compositional capacity of this musician is sublime, Scott A. Shellhamer from the technical sludge band American Heritage also contributed to the composition of the work, Dylan O'Toole is once again in charge of the lead vocals and Andrew supports him with his misanthropic and extremely rhythmic voice, being a duet vocal of very high level.

This EP not only has incredible vocal and riff execution, but it features some of the most complex and technical rhythmic patterns by the late Bill Bumgardner (R.I.P), bringing sublime consistency and depth to each of the songs, which at times becomes abrasive and ruthless when the tempo drops, see the eponymous song as an example of the above.

Although this is a short work, Lord Mantis managed to reaffirm themselves in the style of which they were and always will be masters, extreme music highly recommended for all those who seek to go beyond the limits that very few dare to cross, another great work of a unique and unrepeatable band.

(Originally published at valleyofsteel.net)

The new EP NTW (a quick perusal of the title track shows that it stands for "Nice Teeth Whore") contains four tracks, with an average length down just slightly, to near six minutes apiece. These range from the fast, frenzied, vicious, and intense opener "SIG Safer" to the slower and doomier closer "Final Division" whose tortured vocals spew more and more putrescence, getting more agonizing as it goes on until it finally and mercifully dies away. In between, "NTW" and "Semblances" maintain a fairly moderate pace (although the former of these does slow down just a bit, about midway in, after which point everything seems to be hanging on rather tenuously, threatening to fall into pieces at any moment).

Throughout all of this, the vocals -- though they sound a bit distant at times -- maintain the vitriolic and nihilistic feeling that both Indian and Lord Mantis had always been known for; the song "Negative Birth" on the previous album had featured [former Indian and new Lord Mantis vocalist] Dylan O'Toole in the lead vocal role, and it seemed such a natural fit at that time, that it's no surprise that this new material comes together as seamlessly as it does. I've heard that these guys are already in the planning stages of a new full-length, but this EP seems intent on making a bold statement: if you were upset after the dissolution of Indian, or if you were nervous about so many member substitutions within the ranks of Lord Mantis, NTW proves that all of those concerns are completely groundless, because all the best parts that had previously attracted listeners to both of those bands have been masterfully blended together right here.