Ever since the Portland, Oregon powerhouse Drouth went under the banner of Contempt, the band has known a thing or two about crushing invisible oranges with their seething and sandblasting style of black metal that taps into the savage ferocity of death metal and the imposing melodic leads of crust. On their third album The Teeth of Time, Drouth’s incisors are sharpened to lacerate and dripping with venom.
It has been five years since Drouth blessed us with their stellar sophomore album Excerpts from a Dread Liturgy, which impressed both Vincent and yours truly, reaching the number three spot on my albums of the year list, where I praised Drouth for their unmatched ferocity and the way the band “excels at constantly ramping up the whiplashing intensity, especially when you think it would not be scientifically possible anymore and a lesser band would have already capitulated in total physical and emotional exhaustion.” That frenetic vigor has further increased in the intervening years, exemplified right out of the gate by sudden serpentine twists, tempo shifts and fierce lunges of “Hurl Your Thunderbolt Even Unto Death.” At the same time, the melancholic aura of its intro heralds the album’s strong emphasis on texture and atmosphere, an element that not only accentuates the sharp cuts and relentless maiming with layered depth, but also often takes center stage, like when the red-hot fervor of “False Grail” slows down to a despondent and gloomy crawl that is joined by Eva Vonne’s (Dead to a Dying World, Isenordal) viola, which makes a chilling return amid the jangling and sparkling reverberations of “Through the Glass, Darkly.” Likewise, details such as Christy Cather’s (Ludicra, Ails) blood-curdling shrieks during the closing of “Hurl Your Thunderbolt Even Unto Death” as well as her and fellow Ludicra and Ails alumna Laurie Sue Shanaman’s guest vocals on the title track add layers of richness.
The force, impact and atmosphere of Drouth’s music is enhanced by the excellent production courtesy of Billy Anderson and Justin Weis. They have imbued the album with the thrill and sensation of a live show, where you can practically smell the sweat and the vortex of dust swirling and sticking to beer-soaked skin, while also adeptly ensuring each instrument space and opportunity to shine with commendable clarity amid the grime and vitriol. Matt Stikker and John Edwards’s guitars dart and crisscross and complement each other, while Matt Solis’s bass rumbles at just the right frequency that allows you to hear it clearly and feel it in your chest (his bass, and its interplay with guitars, is a true pleasure on “Through the Glass, Darkly,” especially with good headphones). Patrick Fiorentino does not waste any time in reminding me why he is one of my favorite metal drummers, pounding his drums with nigh-barbaric physicality that should by definition contradict and be at odds with his remarkable dexterity and knack for nuance and dynamics, but throughout the album, he maintains resolute command of his kit. The organic and visceral drum production is a particular highlight, as you can feel Fiorentino’s booming kicks when “Exult, Ye Flagellant” winds down after having left a scarred landscape in its wake. Together, Solis and Fiorento provide a devastating rhythm section and gargantuan low end for Stikker and Edwards to go bonkers with a hurricane of killer riffs and melodic tremolos that come with hooks that bite deep into the flesh and refuse to let go of their prey. Matt Stikker’s feral snarl spews out dark proclamations and vivid poetry of the end times which consolidate his standing as one of the best metal lyricists operating today. Stikker’s lyrics conjure up feverish and apocalyptic visions and serve as terrific narrative accompaniment for his superlative album cover art.
As Vincent mused in his mini-review of Excerpts From a Dread Liturgy back in 2020, “there seems to be nothing this band can’t do, no style they can’t add to the emulsion that is their unique, furious take on extreme metal, and like a good emulsion, every element here holds itself in perfect cohesion.” It is now 2025 and Drouth has enriched that winning formula on The Teeth of Time, revealing new and augmented layers and tones of the deepest black in their palette. The rich compositions, replete with raging riffs and frenzied melodies, fuel Drouth’s furnace of righteous fury and take it to unprecedented levels of scorching heat in their discography. The flame of The Teeth of Time burns with incensed vitality and purifying force and marks a new high point in their career.
— Zyklonius
The Teeth of Time is available now from the band and Eternal Warfare Records. For more information on Drouth, check out their Facebook page.