I was a bit bummed when I first saw that the latest from Baltimore's Pulling Teeth was an anemic-looking six tracks. I expected it to be short, but short as in twelve two-minute tracks, not five of them! But as the axiom says, never judge a book by its cover (or, an album by its track-listing in this case). This album packs as much of a wallop as past efforts from the band and takes a step in a much more sophisticated direction in terms of both music and lyrics.

Less bluntly hardcore and more edgily metallic, Paranoid Delusions/Paradise Illusions is not what you'd expect by way of a follow up to 2008's Martyr Immortal. But where that album showed the group's hardcore leanings, Paranoid Delusions/Paradise Illusions shows a lot more metal. So much so that my water has tasted like aluminum for weeks. Solos abound on this album, and the texture of the album is much more pronounced as synthesizers have elbowed their way into Pulling Teeth's repertoire. 

A casual listener might think they're listening to an extension of Martyr Immortal, but pay attention to the shifts from experimental doom to thrash metal riffing and you'll see that the band is bracing you for something new and different from their past efforts. I couldn't believe my ears when the first of the title tracks, "Paranoid Delusions", slowly (yes, slowly) gave way to the epic "Paradise Illusions" which was replete with melody (yes, melody) and progress. Where I thought five tracks would blow right by me, this album endures. Pulling Teeth won't be entering double-disc territory anytime soon (feel free to prove me wrong, guys), but if this album is any indication they have some serious stuff yet to lay on us.

My cup doesn't exactly runneth over with satisfaction here. I found myself wanting more. Not in terms of quality, mind you, there's plenty of that here. This just feels like a roller coaster ride. Scary fast and over in a flash. Paradise Illusion, indeed, as I got a glimpse of hardcore paradise but it eluded my grasp when the album flew by. Even after a second and third listen, I felt somehow unfulfilled. More, please.

Tags: Album Reviews, Baltimore, Hardcore, Pulling Teeth