Lord Mantis is an extreme metal band from Chicago. While I enjoy the heavy stuff pretty regularly, I am by no means an expert on the subject. If I attempt to describe their music in terms of one or more of the many metal subgenres, I will almost certainly be taken to task by some headbanging know-it-all. I’m going to try to keep it simple. To me, this sounds like the heavier side of Ministry (also Chicago natives) with black metal vocals. NTW is the first recording with the band’s new lineup, including a new singer.

Opener “SIG Safer” (SIG Sauer is a handgun manufacturer) is inhumanly fast with blast beats and samples. The vocals are mostly buried and all I can make out is“Safer, safer, safer, safer”. I would be interested to hear (understand) their take on gun violence, considering that Chicago is one of the most dangerous cities in the US and also has some of the strictest gun laws.The title track slows things down a bit and adds some spacey sounds. “Semblances” has a little riff that almost approaches melodic. “Backward, forward, backward, forward”. The seven minute “Final Division” closes the four song EP. “Honor the father, honor the mother”. Like the title track, it has dark sexual overtones.

NTW is 23 minutes of ugly, abrasive metal with almost no redeeming social value. It’s not terrible, but it’s certainly not for everyone. When I looked this up on Amazon, it listed the title in its non-abbreviated form of “Nice Teeth Whore”. It’s a strange juxtaposition going between the punk and metal worlds. While punk has probably gotten too sensitive for its own good, metal is still dominated by cavemen. Listen at your own risk.