After turning heads with the acrimonious crossover thrash of their 2006 debut "Vicious Skin", Baltimore's PULLING TEETH have returned to spew more hate and fury, with all the subtlety of a jackknifed tractor trailer.

The muscular thrash of "Martyr Immortal" seems to find its depth and breadth in the rousing, frenzied drumming of Alex Henderson, bolstering the rapid-fire riffage with classic SLAYER intensity in tracks like "Clipped Wings" and "Sick and Tired". When PULLING TEETH drops the tempo down to a sludgy crawl, the sickening lurch suggests the sound of an engine locking up. Sharp, wailing leads lie in wait at every corner, erupting, writhing, and vanishing in the space of seconds as these two-minute odes to revulsion and protest dart past. The unified album covers and printed lyrics further attest to the fact that this band has it's shit together. The disc ends with the twist of a macabre CELTIC FROST-style instrumental with violins and a narrator straight out of "Exorcist III". In this age of teeth-whitening strips and peanut allergies, it's great to stumble upon a band still committed to tearing heads off with every song. Keep pulling, boys - you've got a keeper here.

- Marchman

OFFICIAL SITE: myspace.com/pullingteethmd

RELATED ITEMS: PULLING TEETH - "Vicious Skin", 2006