Metawar

Metawar is the third studio album by the American industrial metal band 3Teeth. It was released on July 5, 2019 as the band's first album on their new label, Century Media Records.

Metawar
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 5, 2019
Genre
Length46:50
LabelCentury Media
ProducerSean Beavan
3Teeth chronology
<shutdown.exe>
(2017)
Metawar
(2019)
EndEx
(2023)
Singles from Metawar
  1. "American Landfill"
    Released: April 5, 2019
  2. "Exxxit"
    Released: April 23, 2019
  3. "Affluenza"
    Released: May 31, 2019
  4. "President X"
    Released: June 14, 2019
  5. "Pumped Up Kicks"
    Released: June 28, 2019
  6. "Altær"
    Released: January 17, 2020

Release and promotion

Initial work on the album began in early 2018[1] following extensive touring in support of <shutdown.exe>. Sean Beavan returned to work with the band once again,[2] taking on mixing and production duties for the new album. The band announced the completion of the album on December 22, 2018 via their official Instagram page[3] and a tentative release window of Spring 2019 was set.

The first single, "American Landfill", was released worldwide on April 5, 2019, alongside the official announcement of the July 5 global release date.[2][4][5][6] Alongside the new album announcement, the band also announced a summer tour in support of Ministry.[4] Frontman Mincolla described the new album as focusing on the idea of world versus world.[2][6] According to Mincolla, "If our debut album was focused on man vs. the world, and our sophomore album was man vs. himself, then I really wanted to Metawar to focus on the idea of world vs world, and the notion that if man doesn’t create his own world then he’s often crushed by the world of another."[2][6]

The music video for "American Landfill" debuted on April 15, 2019.[7][8] The video was directed by Matthew Charles Santoro, longtime friend of Alexis Mincolla and Hollywood director and visual effects artist whose credits include X-Men Origins: Wolverine and 300.[7] "Exxxit" was released as the second single with an accompanying music video on April 23.[9][10] "The song hinges on a conceptual ultimatum and the human urge towards self-destruction as a form of liberation," Mincolla said.[9][10] The video, which features performance artist Jeanelle Mastema suspended from hooks,[10] was described as "gruesome" and "NSFW"[10] and was inspired by concepts featured in Albert O. Hirschman's 1970 treatise Exit, Voice, and Loyalty.[11] "Exxxit" premiered alongside a North American tour announcement featuring Author & Punisher and GOST as support.[11]

The third single supporting the album, Affluenza, was released on May 31, 2019.[12][13] Mincolla describes Affluenza as being "the all-consuming epidemic of our time. It's a socially transmitted disease that infects via the prosthetic digital nervous system when exposed to the conspicuous consumption based infotoxins emitted from Kim Kardashian's ass."[12][13] An official lyric music video was released for the single as well.[12][13] The fourth single promoting the album, President X, was released on June 14, 2019.[14][15] The single was accompanied by a music video featuring Mincolla as a neo-fascist lizard-man president in "band's most outwardly political song to date."[15]

The fifth single released was the band's cover of "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People which was released on June 28, 2019.[16][17] A fifth music video was released alongside the single as well. On why the band decided to do a cover song, Mincolla said "Industrial bands have a long history of subverting popular culture songs...We’ve just always been a fan of this sort of thing and felt it would be a good time to take an iconic song of the late 2000s and give it some unexpected 2019 industrial darkness."[16][17] On January 17, 2020, Altær was released as the album's sixth single along with a music video.[18][19]

While touring in support of Metawar, the band recorded one original track and two cover songs for the film Guns Akimbo. Their cover of You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) by Dead or Alive (band) was featured in the film's trailer, and it was later announced that the second cover song would be The Ballroom Blitz originally recorded by The Sweet.[20][21]

Composition

Metawar has been described as industrial metal[22][23] industrial rock,[24] industrial,[25] nu metal,[22] alternative metal,[22] and electronic rock.[26]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic61/100[27]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[28]
Bring the Noise8/10[29]
Exclaim!8/10[25]
Maximum Volume8/10[30]
Kerrang!1/5[31]
Noizze8.5/10[32]
Sputnikmusic[22]
Shropshire Star9/10[33]

Metawar received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 61 out of 100, which indicates "Generally favorable reviews" based on 4 reviews.[27] Loudwire named it one of the 50 best metal albums of 2019.[34]

Charts

Following its release, Metawar became the band's most commercially successful album, debuting at #23 on Billboard[35] and at #28 on the iTunes Top Albums chart[36] as well as the #1 album on the iTunes Metal charts.[37] The album also debuted at #82 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart for the week of July 20, 2019, and at #3 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums for the same week.[38] With the release of Metawar, 3teeth themselves charted at #25 on Billboard's Emerging Artists chart.[39]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hyperstition" 1:01
2."Affluenza" 3:38
3."Exxxit" 3:33
4."American Landfill" 3:08
5."President X" 3:41
6."Altær" 4:07
7."Time Slave" 3:27
8."Bornless" 3:27
9."Surrender" 4:05
10."Sell Your Face 2.0" 3:49
11."Blackout" 3:49
12."The Fall" 4:33
13."Pumped Up Kicks" (Foster the People cover)Mark Foster4:32
Total length:46:50

Notes

  • All tracks are stylized in all caps.
  • "Exit" is stylized as "EXXXIT".

Personnel

3Teeth

  • Alexis Mincolla – vocals, lyrics
  • Chase Brawner – guitars
  • Xavier Swafford – keyboards, synthesizers
  • Andrew Means – bass, modular synthesizers
  • Justin Hanson – drums

Production

  • Sean Beavan – programming, engineering, and mixing
  • Juliette Beaven – additional vocals
  • Howie Weinberg – mastering
  • Mike Glitter – A&R
  • Don Robertson – A&R

Visual personnel

  • Alexis Mincolla – art direction
  • Marcel Lagerquist – graphic design
  • Mihail Aleksandrovich – 3D modeling
  • Sqeuoia Emmanuelle – photography

References

  1. Temple, Metal. "Metal-Temple.com :: 3Teeth's Lex Mincolla: "If you want music, just fucking support it...'cause it's dying out there, like a fucking wilted leaf. There's no place to make money off this anymore." (News)". www.metal-temple.com.
  2. "3Teeth To Release 'Metawar' Album In July". Blabbermouth.net. April 6, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  3. "3Teeth on Instagram: "Album Finished 🍾🍾🍾 Time to Pop some bottles 🔥🔥🔥 #3teeth #operationmindfuck #losangeles #album3 #2019 #totaldestruction"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26.
  4. Chapstick, Kelsey (April 5, 2019). "Hear 3Teeth Unleash Slow-Crushing Industrial Rage on New Song "American Landfill"". Revolver. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  5. DiVita, Joe (April 5, 2019). "3Teeth Announce New Album 'Metawar,' Release Caustic First Single". Loudwire. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  6. Kennelty, Greg (April 6, 2019). "3Teeth Announces Metawar With New Song "American Landfill"". Metal Injection. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  7. Kaufman, Spencer (April 15, 2019). "Industrial act 3Teeth unveil "American Landfill" video: Watch". Consequence. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  8. Chapstick, Kelsey (April 15, 2019). "See 3Teeth Enter Neon-Noir, Post-Apocalyptic Nightmare in "American Landfill" Video". Revolver. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  9. Kennelty, Greg (April 23, 2019). "3Teeth Drops Fairly NSFW Video For New Song "Exxxit"". Metal Injection. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  10. Winkie, Luke (April 23, 2019). "3Teeth Debut Disturbing, NSFW "Exit" Video Featuring S&M Suspension". Revolver. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  11. Jones, Cat (April 23, 2019). "3Teeth On Politics, Sex, and Liberation Through Self-Destruction". Kerrang!. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  12. Kennelty, Greg (May 31, 2019). "3Teeth Warns Of Kim Kardashian's Ass In New Song "Affluenza"". Metal Injection. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  13. "3Teeth Premiere "Affluenza" Music Video". The PRP. May 31, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  14. Jones, Cat (June 14, 2019). "3Teeth Endorse President X In Their Latest Video". Kerrang!. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  15. Winkie, Luke (June 14, 2019). "See Lizard People Take Over in 3Teeth's Wild New "President X" Video". Revolver. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  16. Childers, Chad (June 28, 2019). "3Teeth Make Gun Commentary With 'Pumped Up Kicks' Video". Loudwire. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  17. Kennelty, Greg (July 1, 2019). "3Teeth's Cover Of "Pumped Up Kicks" Is A Slowed Down Industrial Crusher". Metal Injection. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  18. Munro, Scott (January 17, 2020). "3Teeth travel into the post-apocalyptic wasteland in Altær video". Metal Hammer. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  19. Kennelty, Greg (January 19, 2020). "3Teeth's Music Video For "Altær" Was Heavily Inspired By Mad Max". Metal Injection. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  20. "3Teeth: See Unearthed 'Guns Akimbo' Video for "You Spin Me Round" Cover". Revolver. July 16, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  21. "3Teeth Releases Guns Akimbo Album Featuring Covers Of "Ballroom Blitz" And "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)"". Brave Words. August 24, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  22. Simon K. (July 5, 2019). "Review: 3Teeth - Metawar". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  23. Podoshen, Jeff (June 28, 2019). "3Teeth give industrial metal a much needed shot in the arm with 'Metawar'". Metal Insider. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  24. Oblyvyon, Dayv (July 3, 2019). "3Teeth - "Metawar" (Album Review)". Pure Grain Audio. Archived from the original on July 8, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  25. Payne, Chris (July 4, 2019). "3Teeth Metawar". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  26. DeWald, Mike (July 3, 2019). "Review: 3Teeth paint a dystopian, punishing portrait with 'Metawar'". Riff Magazine. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  27. "Metawar by 3Teeth". Metacritic. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  28. Yeung, Neil Z. "Metawar by 3Teeth". AllMusic. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  29. Tsangarides, Louis (July 5, 2019). "Album Review:3Teeth Metawar". Bring the Noise. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  30. Thorley, Andy (June 30, 2019). "Revit:3teeth - (2019)". Maximum Volume. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  31. "3Teeth: Metawar". Kerrang!: 55. July 8, 2019.
  32. Payne, Chris (July 5, 2019). "3teeth - Metawar-Album Review". Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  33. "3Teeth Metawar-album review". July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  34. "The 50 Best Metal Albums of 2019". Loudwire. December 3, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  35. "3Teeth live at Rescue Rooms". www.rescuerooms.com. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
  36. "iTunesCharts.net: 'Metawar' by 3Teeth (American Albums iTunes Chart)". www.itunescharts.net.
  37. "Photo" (JPG). scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net. Retrieved 2019-07-19.
  38. "3teeth Chart History". Billboard.
  39. "3teeth | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2018-12-27. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
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