Pianos Become the Teeth
The Lack Long After

Pianos Become The Teeth formed in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2006, and are part of the screamo/post-hardcore scene alongside bands like La Dispute, Touché Amoré, and Defeater.

In addition to various demo and split releases (notably with The Saddest Landscape), their debut 'Old Pride' arrived in 2009 via Blackjaw Records, immediately making them one of the most significant groups in their scene. The debut was also a success from a critical standpoint, rightly considered a new breath of life for screamo.

Riding on this success, they signed with Topshelf Records, which re-released 'Old Pride' in 2010, leading up to 2011, the year of the release of 'The Lack Long After'. The group's characteristics remain the same: a screamo approach with screamed vocals and background melodies reminiscent of emo and post-rock.

The main theme of this work is the death of singer Kyle Durfey, to which almost all the songs refer. The album's atmosphere is full of emotion from start to finish: sadness, nostalgia, resignation, and much more. The entire album resonates like a stream of consciousness, and thanks to Durfey’s emotional rasp and the incredible melodies of the other members, we inevitably become part of it. A flow of consciousness, a flood of emotions. Trust me, you get swept away.

Regarding the aforementioned lyrics, one must acknowledge the frontman's incredible ability to write lyrics that have nothing to envy from the most impactful of Jordan Dreyer. On the instrumental side, you also have to give credit to the outstanding compositional skills of the other four members (Chad McDonald, Michael York, David Haik, and Zac Sewell), who weave unique tapestries with melodies that touch the deepest corners of the soul.

I frankly find no flaws, certainly like all bands, they can be liked or not, but I'm sure that Pianos Become The Teeth are one of those bands that, twenty years from now, people will say: "I wish I had been there when they were around." Personally, I consider them second in their scene only to the aforementioned La Dispute, although the two bands have differences that significantly set them apart, so a comparison doesn't really make much sense.

In essence, 'The Lack Long After', like all their other releases, is a masterpiece. Pianos Become The Teeth are one of those bands that will survive forever, I'm sure of it.

It seems we all get sick,
we all die in some no name hospital with the same colored walls,
and I guess that's fine,
but I want to swallow, I want to stomach, I want to live.