It's Impossible to Pin Down blacktoothed in Their Latest Album "Headway"

It’s impossible to pin down Leipzig-based band, blacktoothed in their latest album Headway, and we mean that in every sense of the word. Their third studio album is set to be released Friday, January 24^th. From the first track’s teeth-rattling introduction to the final track’s growl of, “Am I supposed to step back?” it’s apparent that your response must be, wholeheartedly and unequivocally, “No.” This powerhouse trio can sometimes be described as metalcore, sometimes as hard rock, sometimes as heavy balladic pop rock. Headway brings the best of all worlds and fuses them into a 30-minute riot against the powers that be trying to hold you back.

“Get Me Down” starts the album off by tackling the first power – yourself. blacktoothed comes out swinging and takes no prisoners. Not only is the gritty guitar-driven intro riff a blow to the chest - the lyrics are also a poignant blow to the negative inner dialogue that holds you back. In short, get out of your own way, stop knocking yourself down, stop falling for your own lies. The punchy rhythm is your reminder to fight back, and climaxes at an interlude that is very modern hard rock with leaden guitars, a touch of synthesized vocals, and spacious, near-breakdown drumming. It lifts out into a final chorus and the reminder that the future can be a self-fulfilled prophecy if you give the negative self-talk power over you.

Just as you look inside yourself to seek out and destroy the lies, so you also must look inside yourself for the truths. “Antidote” is a reminder that the low moments don’t last forever. Healing will come, and often from within. The song starts off with a simple, “We Will Rock You” style grooving beat, signaling the start of a cycle. Hendrik and Matti’s vocals are the perfect octave-pairing, calmly announcing “Flowing anger, keep it coming/know the drill, it’s kinda calming/all the depth, just like the ocean/water rising, let me drown in you.” Quick drum buildup and slam into a short chorus searching for the cure while understanding and admitting that there’s hope in those low moments. The cadence of the song has a predictability like the familiarity of these cycles, yet it leaves you playing it on repeat, wanting it over and over again.

The third track of the record starts with a lo-fi distorted riff and Hendrik’s vocals which soar in their natural state of being. His transparency is a poetic juxtaposition to the message. “Why won’t you let me show my true colors?/Why do you still believe I don’t cover?” This irresistible chorus hook paints an attractive mask over the heavy heart. Matti’s writing has a distinct way of sending you into a familiar spiral through its relatability, but she is always there to save you before you hit the bottom by showing you you’re not alone. Fittingly, her vocals come in at the bridge at 1:50, questioning how you would react if you saw what was going on inside her head, or if you’re simply “too blind to see.” Cue the drop. The space blacktoothed leaves between the thundering chords increases the chaos within – the tension one often feels being alone. Right at the end of the drop is a super sexy and simple riff that grabs you by the wrist and pulls you through, leading you into one final chorus.

One message remains consistent throughout the album – the comfort found in a place of anger and frustration. “Fight, fight, I’mma fight,” is the opening line of the candid fourth track, “Fight”. Where the previous two songs gave you a moment to ease into the heaviness, this one holds nothing back. However, the melodies are still singable and anthemic as they come. This song is 100% modern rock and ought to be played alongside rock veterans like Papa Roach. Matti even throws in another sick solo after the second chorus. Every element in “Fight” is candor and catharsis at its finest.

The next track seems to be a response to “Fight”. “Novocaine” explores the journey of taking medications (and maybe occasionally self-medicating.) This track talks about what it’s like to have the world drowned out but still be conscious beneath the surface, still processing the madness. After a brief glitch, the song slams into an intro similarly to “Fight.” blacktoothed shows their prowess and ability to convey their message through the music with the lyrics simply there to add clarity. The first verse maintains a simplicity and plenty of space to think. A distant lead guitar plays a clean melody in the background while a heavily distorted rhythm occasionally chunks in the foreground. The chorus slams in with the frustration of viewing the world from just under a subduing filter. The second verse adds an extra level of cacophony with a flanging, chugging guitar, and the feeling that the drugs are starting to wear off. The bridge asks for more novocaine, and a beautiful vocal melody by Matti makes the head swim. She drones on the following lines: “I’ve tried medicine to calm me down/I’ve tried medicine to bring me up/And, I’ve tried medicine to focus up/And, I’ve stopped medicine to come back down.” Then, Hendrik lets out a guttural scream as it all drops into a massive breakdown. This song is truly a masterful piece that is everything music is meant to be.

Not all self-medicating is pills and smoke. Veils and buffers come in all shapes and sizes. Some fit in the palm of your hand, and some take up 90 inches, mounted to a wall. The music video for the bonafide metalcore track “Hell’s Paradise” was appropriately filmed in two outdoor settings – a forest in the dead of winter and under an overpass, in an area that looks like it would be beautiful if not obscured by concrete. The third setting, however, is inside a church or chapel of some kind. This could simply be an artistic choice of another beautiful setting shrouded in darkness. Being presumptuous, however, this could also be a nod to a religious shroud of feeling somehow sheltered from the world while, in reality, facing every ailment. It is at this point and in this setting that Felix Fröhlich (vocalist for BITE) screams the words, “I’ve seen the dark, I’ve felt the cold/Deceptive calm before the storm/Led to believe you’re different/When we are all just at our fucking end/Give me a break/Body ache take over/Let me feel my suffering.”

blacktoothed maintain the soul and spirit of who they are while bringing their versatility to bear on “Walls”. The intro is reminiscent of an 80’s metal ballad with the distant wail of a guitar overlaid by a fuzzy synth pad, but then a modern beat and vocals come in to usher you into the present. The previous tracks on this album have a heaviness of heart represented by music that is heavier still, but this song aims to deliver the same weight through allowing you room to breathe. Matti uses her expertly poetic lyricism to convey how critical it is to maintain your walls and your boundaries. “You said to break down the walls/but I’m building them up again/because it’s making me sick/if I keep on swallowing.” In order to heal, we must give ourselves space to heal. When we remain beholden to others, our wellbeing is beholden to them, too.

Another realm where it’s easy to allow inhibitions to decay is the space of screens. Initially, the meaning of “Time Bomb” is elusive despite the straightforward lyrics. The themes of beating others down and fighting for control and sovereignty are usually used when describing a toxic relationship. However, we are prone to having unhealthy relationships with how we waste time, and the fights we choose to pick when we’re emboldened by the physical space between us and others. This track has earned criticism because of its use of autotune and other mechanical/industrial sounds, but the brilliance is how it, yet again, points to the central message of the song. We are turning into robots, serving the almighty “like” button, and arguing about nonsense, surrounded by edgelords and shitstirs. It’s easy to stick around for the entire tune for both its brevity and catchiness, but there’s an especially tasty surprise at the very end in the form of the grittiest, filthiest breakdown of the album.

In one final spine snap, “Carried Away” gives the listener whiplash from going one hundred miles per hour down to thirty. The intro is very pretty and melodic and far from standard. The arpeggiated triad chords are not a simple pop progression and provide headway for the melody to meander in a way that is unfamiliar but pleasant to the ear. Again, blacktoothed has struck gold. It can be difficult following your heart to live the life you’ve always dreamed of, and it takes being something and someone a little different. It takes being defiant in the presence of the innumerable naysayers, and it required being so enamored by the thing that captures your imagination that you simply get carried away. A band after my own heart, Matti rips a fat guitar solo right at the end that is somehow both classic and modern in sound and displays an affinity for classic rock and 70’s-80’s metal. Finishing off with a few lines of “Am I supposed to step back?” Hendrik’s growling vocals let you know that’s a challenge rather than any sense of uncertainty. You just know he’s gonna kick your ass if you say yes. What a badass way to end their best album yet.