3Teeth is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2013, the band currently consists of Alexis Mincolla (vocals), Chase Brawner (guitars), Xavier Swafford (keys & synth), Andrew Means (modular synth & bass), and Justin Hanson (drums.) They have currently released three studio albums – their self-titled debut in 2014 and <shutdown.exe> in 2017. Their third studio album, Medawar, was released on July 5, 2019, on Century Media Records.
Name and formation
The group initially formed as a fun passion-project between Mincolla and Swafford,[1] who lived down the street from each other in Los Angeles.[2] Mincolla did not have a musical background but had experience in visual arts and promotion. Mincolla and Swafford met at a weekly party called Lil Death,[3] which was hosted by Mincolla, where they began discussing some ideas for a multi-media mix of visuals and music.[4] The two soon met Andrew Means after being impressed by an online video he sent the pair which Mincolla described as looking “like a computer virus.”[5]
After some of their music was hosted online and began to gain traction, the three sought out a guitarist for the project. Guitar work had initially been outsourced but the turnaround time was slow. Means had grown up with Brawner and suggested that the trio audition him, and after a successful audition Chase joined and 3Teeth had officially formed.[6][7]
The band took the name 3teeth from the concepts of Odontomancy, which Mincolla described as an ancient form of divination where “the seer would read prophecies in the teeth like rune stones.”[8] as well as the word trident, which comes from Latin for “three teeth.” Mincolla said of the Trident: “…this divine weapon of God that brings destruction. It’s what Marduk killed Tiamat with — this caught thunderbolt or trident.”[9]
The original line-up consisted of Mincolla, Brawner, Swafford, and Means, with Andrew Means performing live drums on an electric kit.[10] Andrew Melendez joined as a live drummer the spring and summer tours in 2017[11] before Justin Hanson joined the group in the fall of 2017. The band signed to Century Media Records in April 2018 with Hanson being announced as the official fifth member of the band.[12]
Studio albums and live performances[edit]
Their self-titled debut album was released in 2014 and reached the number eight spot on iTunes Electronic Music Chart.[13] A remix album titled REMIXED followed in October 2014, featuring remixes by other prominent industrial artists such as KANGA and Aesthetic Perfection [14]
Their sophomore album, <shutdown.exe>, was released on May 19, 2017.[15] The album was mixed by Sean Beavan, who is best known for working with other prominent industrial artists Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson.[16] The album reached #23 on Billboard the following month.[17] In February 2018, the band released the first of two collaboration tracks, “Light’s Out”, with hip-hop/punk artists Ho99o9. A second track, “Time’s Up”, was released in March 2018, and both tracks were later released on a limited edition 7″ vinyl following a co-headlining tour titled Lights Out North America.[18][19][20]
The band began working on their third album in early 2018,[21] with Sean Beavan returning to mix and produce.[22] The album was completed on December 22.[23]
The title for the third album, Metawar, was announced on April 5, 2019, alongside the release of the debut single “American Landfill”.[24] The music video for American Landfill debuted on April 15, 2019.[25] The video was directed by Matthew Santoro, longtime-friend of Alexis Mincolla and Hollywood director and visual effects artist whose credits include X-Men Origins: Wolverine and 300 (film)[26]
The second single for Metawar, “EXXXIT”, was released on April 23, 2019, alongside a “gruesome”[27] music video and a North American tour announcement with Author & Punisher and GOST as support.[28] The third single, “Affluenza”, was released on May 31, 2019, alongside an official lyric music video.[29] The fourth single, “President X”, was released on June 14, 2019.[30] 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.”[31] The fifth and final single released was the band’s cover of “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People which was released on June 28, 2019.[32] A music video featuring a SWAT raid and firearms footage was released alongside the cover.[33]
Metawar was released worldwide on July 5, 2019[34]. Frontman Mincolla described the album as centering 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.” [35]
3Teeth are known for their use of menacing visuals during live performances.[36][37] The band was hand-selected by Tool[38] to be their supporting act on their 2016 North American tour.[39][40][41]The group opened for German band Rammstein for some of their U.S. dates in the summer of 2017[42] and ended the year performing with Danzig and HIM.[43] 3Teeth were selected by Rammstein to open for them on their special New Year’s Eve performances in Mexico in December 2018 / January 2019.[44]
Artistry
3Teeth’s musical style has been described as industrial metal,[45][46][47][48] industrial,[47][49][50] industrial rock,[51][52][53] alternative metal,[47] electronic rock,[50] electro-industrial,[54] hard rock,[54]nu metal,[55] and heavy metal.[47] 3Teeth’s music heavily features sequenced beats, down-tuned guitars, samples, and synthetic melodies.[50][56] The band has been compared to bands/artists such as Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson (band), KMFDM, Bile, Dope, Rob Zombie, Rammstein, and Tool.[2][45][46][49][54][56]
Lead vocalist, Alexis Mincolla, listen to bands like Sepultura, Pantera, White Zombie, and Nine Inch Nails.[57] He cites The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails as a huge influence for 3Teeth’s music.[57]