Maryland heavy-rockers Sharptooth have recently released several singles, including “Mean Brain” as they prepare to drop their upcoming album. Sharptooth’s record Transitional Forms will drop July 10th via Pure Noise Records and will undoubtedly be one of the most iconic heavy records of 2020. Transitional Forms utilizes various hard rock trends to create a gritty album that represents Sharptooth perfectly.
All Punked Up got a sneak peek at Transitional Forms. Be sure to check out our review below and follow Sharptooth on social media!
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Sharptooth Created a Heavy-Hitting Journey Musically and Lyrically From Beginning to End
The record opens with hard-hitting “Say Nothing (In THe Absence Of Content) which features rough and gritty riffs under the screaming verses and chorus. My living room turned into a mosh pit immediately when this song came on. The next track is “Mean Brain” which opens with an interesting twist: a very emo young child chanting about how everyone hates them. This moves into what feels like an early 2000s heavy rock track and I am living for it! The main riff gives me Rage Against the Machine vibes, but with more screamo.
“Life On the Razor’s Edge” also has a unique opening with the sounds of soft cinematic strings which eases into a light eighth-note melody with light vocals. About halfway through the track, the pace builds up to a shorter soft section followed by a heavy-hitting “bang your f*cking head” moment. This track really showcases Sharptooth’s flexibility with their genre and their musicianship skills.
“Hirudinea” might just be my favorite track on this album. The intro gives me hardcore punk vibes and sucks me right into their incredible sound. The chorus is so catchy and can easily be an iconic fist-pumping moment at a show. The pre-breakdown is so poetic yet tough and really showcases Sharptooth’s lyrical abilities.
“The Gray” features some of the fastest-paced drums in the record and really motivates me to dance all around a mosh pit. The song slows the drums down to highlight the vocals on the main riff, which give you the breather you need as you jump in and out of the pit!
Next up is “Evolution”, a song that opens with fast and loud drums. They are the best part of this song. Honestly, it sounds like a song that is perfect to open up a circle pit in. That is the best way to describe it. It’s fast, it’s heavy, and it’s a quick song, coming in at just under three minutes.
“153” is heavy all around. The singing, the drums, and the guitar. This one might be one of my personal favorites on the album. I really like the singing on this song because it is very clear and easy to understand. I personally really appreciate it when I can hear the screaming clearly, because it provides me with a better listening experience. Lead singer Lauren Kashan does this here. She is clear, concise, and you can really hear her emotion and passion. It’s a great song.
“The Southern Strategy” almost has a breakdown in the beginning of the song. They pause for a moment, and pick it right back up. I think that is an interesting thing to explore if they did mean it as a mini-breakdown. The part of the song where Kashan starts saying “they don’t give a f**k about you” is probably my favorite part, because it feels like they are establishing a connection with the story of the song and the listener, and I think that is a really creative thing to do.
“M.P.D.B (Manic Pixie Dream Bitch)” has great guitar in it. It’s a quick song again, and sounds a bit different from the track before it. “M.P.D.B” sounds more like a traditional hardcore song to me, while “The Southern Strategy” sounds a bit more personal. Nevertheless, “M.P.D.B” is a great song. I love the breakdown of the song, and the scream over it.
Lastly, we have “Nevertheless (She Persisted)” opens up with some awesome guitar strumming to set the stage of the track. I think this is a great track to end an awesome album on. Melodically, it’s a bit slow at the start (relatively speaking), but the screaming is sharp, and it picks up throughout the song. This might be my favorite song on the record. It tells an emotional story about sticking through rough times in your life and becoming a stronger person from it. The singing on the bridge tells the emotion of the song perfectly. It is a great touch.
Transitional Forms is a great album all around. Every song is an absolute banger. Sharptooth made each track unique in their own way, and have the capability to get you in your feels or make you want to mosh around in your living room (there is no in between). It is a great listen, and we recommend it to any hardcore fan!
This album review was created by Mackenzie Meaney and Julia Pearl.
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