🌶️ To The Teeth: Fluisteraars have built their castle

Plus: Scowl, Pigs, Mizmor & Hell, Pigs, Tómarúm, Benediction, Pigs, Lo-Pan, Pigs, Pigs, Wrath of Logarius, Pigs, Glare, Pigs, Verheerer & much more!

Apr 04, 2025

Welcome to the To The Teeth newsletter! Your weekly update of new heavy music. You can listen to (most) everything in the playlist on Spotify. If you like what you read, go to Patreon (receive a patch!) & Bandcamp (buy a patch!). Peppers are hot 🌶️!

I’ve opened up the possibility to support this newsletter financially, to cover my time and the few expenses I make. I’ve had the Patreon for a few years and while I love the community there, I felt that it made more sense to open up the shop here, since the newsletter is where I actually try to add some value. Apart from the patches (which I’m running out of) it’s harder to do that, for me, at Patreon. I’ll hold the Patreon open for now (if only because I’m not entirely familiar with the system on Substack yet), but I imagine it makes more sense to move it here eventually, if it all works out. I’m not sure yet. For now: the window is open here. If you’re interested, hit that blue button below.

I know this is not a Fenriz quote. But, I hope you’re having a great friday.

New Albums

🌶️ Fluisteraars

Black, The Netherlands (Eisenwald)

FFO: Yellow Eyes, Mare Cognitum, Ultha

This is a special band. Absolutely visionary in the way they compose and record their music, and even though they all say it, this is one of the few black metal bands that actually goes their own way, regardless of whatever trend is out there. I had a fun interview with them (in Dutch, and paywalled) last year where they didn’t just prove to great musicians, but also smart, funny, charming, open and interested in a way that, well, fits their music. I hope they never stop doing exactly and only what they want. I think their Verdwenen Kastelen-series (lost castles) of ep’s has been brilliant so far, and this new chapter closes it of in the most perfect way, with a perfect final riff. They’ve been searching for castles, but made one themselves along the way.

🌶️ Scowl

Hardcore punk/alternative, USA (Dead Oceans)

FFO: Gouge Away, Turnstile, Drain

There are a million bands that toned down their sound as they grew. Baroness, Gojira, Opeth, Turnstile, Metallica, Alcest, Katatonia, Ulver… Scowl went there fast. After just one album and a few ep’s, Scowl leaned into their previous cautious attempts to melodic rock and leaned into it hard. The result is less of the (if I’m really honest) kind of predictable hardcore of before, and all the more strong melodies with great vocals, fantastic hooks and very well written songs. And inside of those songs, there’s still hardcore punk.

🌶️ Mizmor & Hell

Black/drone/doom & sludge/drone/doom, both USA (Gilead Media)

FFO: Bell Witch, Thou, The Body

A.L.N. and M.S.W. No you can’t buy a vowel. These grumpy guys (they’re just called Liam and Matthew, not very cool) have played together for years, they’ve contributed to eachothers work, and there was a split, but they’ve never made something together. Until now. I’m not always in the mood for this, and I think that it’s not healthy to always be in the mood for this. But when I am in the mood this is the perfect album for exactly that mood.

🌶️ Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs

Stoner/hardrock, UK

FFO: Melvins, Slift, Red Fang

If I didn’t like this album, I would’ve shared is just for the album cover. Because Holy. Shit. That’s cool. BUT! Luckily, I also really like the album.

There’s more: Allegaeon (tech/melodic death, USA), Habak (crust, Mexico), Tómarúm (prog black, USA), Benediction (death, UK), Lo-Pan (stoner, USA), Wrath of Logarius (black, France), Buried Realm (melodic/tech death, USA), Glare (shoegaze, USA), Fractal Universe (prog/tech death, France), Verheerer (black, Germany), Eldamar (atmoblack, Norway) and a live album from Rotting Christ (melodic black/gothic, Greece). The rest is in the playlist!

Three new songs

🌶️ Midnight (black/speed, USA)

🌶️ Tribunal (gothic/doom, Canada)

🌶️ Igorrr (??/??, France)

The rest is in the playlist!

Not-so-heavy & next week

Not-so-heavy album of the week: Black Country, New Road (art pop, UK)

I’m looking forward to next week because of: Blood Abscission (here in full), Epica, Messa, Slough Feg and Neptunian Maximalism.

What is your favourite? What did I miss? Let me know!