Pulling Teeth have quickly emerged as one of hardcore's most respected groups following their formation a couple years back. With a steady supply of releases coming in their short lifespan - a self-released demo, last year's Vicious Skin, and a split 7" with U.K outfit Frightener earlier this year - they've garnered the attention of just about every individual that loves hardcore punk, an others outside of those restrictive bounds too! And with the spotlight shining in their direction Pulling Teeth have delivered a mammoth of a release with Martyr Immortal.
Martyr Immortal picks up where the band left off on their split release earlier this year. "With Avarice" continues to draw influence from the 90's metallic hardcore scene, but in addition fuses the band's thrash influences as well as highlighting additional influences not heard as much before. The guitar work of Domenic Romeo and Danny Parker sounds like the collision of Integrity, Discharge, and Slayer - on one side you've got gritty riffs with lots of distortion while on the other you've got killer solos.
As Pulling Teeth plow throw Martyr Immortal it becomes immediately evident that this is an album to be listened to as a whole, not in pieces. Just as one track ends, the next begins - most of the time you cannot even tell where the line is drawn. "Dead is Dead" into "Clipped Wings" is a phenomenal duo - killer guitars, pounding drums, and sick vocals supplied by Mike Riley.
"Stonethrowers" is a re-recording from their split 7" with Frightener. I definitely see the band highlighting their 90's hardcore influences on this song. Also re-recorded from the split are "Sick and Tired" and "Basically Dead." These songs help make up the middle of the album, which really just destroys you with its ferociousness and heaviness.
"Martyr Immortal/Mori Vincent Omnes" is a two-song track. The first half really reminds me of the Integrity song "Armenian Persecution" for some reason while the second half is an instrumental that scales things back, tones things down, and really highlights the guitar skills of the group.
"Black Skies" jumps right back into things and brings a Cursed/From Ashes Rise vibe to the album before delving off into a rather drawn out meandering for the second half of the song. "Ashes and Dust" is a twenty-two second blast and "Dismissed in Time (As Perfection Unwinds)" closes things out in a very ominous manner. The song features very sparse instrumentation with a lot of effects and sampling while spoken-word prose is recited. This creates a rather awkward mood, which is probably the intent. (The spoken word is what I suspect is the contribution of Integrity vocalist Dwid Hellion that is listed in the liner notes).
On the lyrical end of things, Riley tends to focus on the negative aspects of society. With songs titled like "Shiteaters," "Sick and Tired," and "Ashes and Dust," could really expect anything else? Some of my favorite lines come from the song "Basically Dead."
We're living in a fucked up place / Greed and deceit at every turn / Ignoring history's lessons / so we never fucking learn / Doomed to repeat our mistakes / We deserve every shot that we take / Shut your mouth and lock your doors / Live in fear like never before / to live this life is no life at all
When stacking things up at the end of the year, Martyr Immortal will easily rank among the top records of the year for most. Pulling Teeth have crafted a fabulous release from start to finish. The biggest flaw of this album is that it's too short and I'm left wanting more. But considering the band's work ethic, I'm sure it'll be no time before I have another release in hand.
