Toothless, The Neighbors | Mad Monday 💎

Wilkes-Barre, PA metalcore collective Toothless bring ample anger (and hellishness) to Mad Money with “The Neighbors” (Misinformed EP).  

[otw_shortcode_dropcap label=”A” size=”large” border_color_class=”otw-no-border-color” shadow=”shadow” square=”square”]h, Mad Monday serves as a marvelous means to start off a hectic, work week for many.  Monday is among the more hated days of the week, so let’s spice it up with some music, shall we?[/otw_shortcode_dropcap] Today’s Mad Monday (May 18, 2020), arrives courtesy of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania metalcore collective Toothless, with “The Neighbors,” from their 2020 EP, Misinformed.

Toothless kicks off Misinformed (EP) – a project that focuses ‘on the current obsession with anti-intellectualism and the weaponizing of disinformation in the modern age’ – with “The Neighbors,” which certainly isn’t devoid of chaos.  The three-minute-plus record commences with crunchy, distorted, and messy guitars. The sound is simultaneously energetic and enigmatic.  Adding to a dark and damning sound, the listener is treated to intense, wild screamed vocals by Travis Antoniello that lack one iota of melody.  While that might be negative in some instances, it’s certainly not the case here, where the vibe is hellishly alluring.

“I took a path less traveled to the place I’ll call home
I never met the neighbors, but they won’t leave me alone
They’ve got rusted crowns and rusted mouths
But they never speak – they never speak.”

One minute in, “The Neighbors” experiences a change of pace that incites further chaos – a truly unkempt transitional section.  It resolves to a degree of stability, at least contextually.  Still, this is noisy and abrasive music.  Even with its ambitiousness and extremely loud dynamics, “The Neighborhood” exhibits some order, with the original section – featuring the aforementioned, angry lyrics – returning to close out the rad cut. “The Neighbors” is definitely an exemplary selection for Mad Monday!

Toothless • Misinformed (EP) • 2020 

Toothless, “The Neighbors” | Mad Monday 💎 [Photo Credits: Alexis, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Pixabay, Robin Higgins, taniarose, Toothless, Tumisu]