Them Teeth is a trio from Muskegon, on the far west side of Michigan. It's home of some of the most beautiful white sand beaches in the country. The band's music, however, is not the soundtrack for a sunny day at the beach. It's more like getting caught in a raging thunderstorm. It's violent and ugly, but at the same time strangely invigorating. Even the cover of their self titled EP is disturbing. It's a blue tinted close-up of a mouth, complete with bushy mustache and rotting choppers. Them Teeth's sound is reminiscent of the stuff that the Amphetamine Reptile label was putting out in the 90's. It's noisy and metallic, but not really metal. It's artistically ambitious without being pretentious.

Opener "Placate" starts off with some weird, alien guitar noise before getting down to business. The sparse guitar meanders over the bass and drums during the verses, while all three instruments thunder together for the chorus. The vocals are mostly shouted and drenched in reverb, like the singer is trapped in the bottom of a well. "Brain Sick" follows a similar formula while "Freaky Friday" picks up the pace a bit. "Play Along" is the fastest song on S/T Demo, which is mostly mid-tempo. The yelled vocals also occasionally become a full-throated scream as this progresses. The EP finishes with its two longest, and arguably strongest songs. "Extraction" may be the most unpleasant break-up song you'll ever hear. The guitars and drums march in lock-step to a powerful effect. Closer "Mouth Sin" starts out spare and bluesy before succumbing to its noisy destiny. The off-kilter rhythm creates an interesting sense of tension.

This is a strong debut from Them Teeth. It's abrasive and challenging, but will reward the listener willing to accept that challenge. It's not happy, sing-along music for those who require instant gratification. Although they're calling it a demo, the sound quality here is quite good. If you're a fan of older Helmet, Neurosis, or other bands of that ilk, you will probably enjoy this. S/T Demo is available as a name your price download at Bandcamp, so throw them a buck or two and check it out.