I'm not a tremendous fan of modern hardcore/metalcore music, most of it is mediocre metal filled with empty posturing and half-hearted takes on better bands from 10-15 years ago. However, Pulling Teeth's label, Deathwish, provides a lot of hardcore music that stretches the boundaries of the genre (i.e. Converge, Trap Them, Blacklisted.) That fact, coupled with the positive reviews I'd read about this record, led me to give it a spin. I was not disappointed.



While the conventions of the genre are firmly in place, Pulling Teeth manage to create their own take on the hardcore/metalcore sound. They're experimental without being "Experimental," and maintain the ragged rawness that made the original hardcore scene so endearing. Pulling Teeth incorporates numerous metal/hardcore influences throughout "Paranoid..." while remaining fresh. This is due to their obvious enthusiasm; a factor that makes or breaks much heavy music. These guys have it in spades. On the first track, "Unsatisfied," the guitars go from a doom metal dirge to vintage Slayer thrashing without sounding like a retread. "Bloodwolves" begins with thrashy, grinding frenzy for the first minute or so until a classic-rock inspired solo looms up in the bridge. While most bands attempting this kind of juxtaposition would succeed only in sounding contrived, Pulling Teeth have the cajones and the will to back it up and make it work.



The titular tracks that close the album are what solidifies this record's power. "Paranoid Delusions" has a meandering quality that reminds me of "My War"-ear Black Flag or vintage Saint Vitus. "Paradise Illusions" is comprised of various audio samples, electronic effects, clean guitars, string instruments, and haunting vocal harmonies--very left-field for a hardcore band. It almost sounds like it could have come from the glory days of post-punk. This willingness to experiment coupled with the band's innate grasp of metal/hardcore trappings is a breath of fresh air in a stagnant genre. I'm looking forward to what this band does next.