Like all true punks — from the Troggs to the Butthole Surfers — Finland’s Tivol can bust but a single groove: the classic Bo Diddley’s chug-a-lug. I mean, sure, the quartet can really groove, slowing the thing down, or turn frighteningly manic, speeding it up to breakneck pace. But Weather Report, this band clearly is not — which is fine. Wayne Shorter could never appreciate the primitive talents of Tivol’s “vocalist,” a true cretin who can — just like the dudes behind him — perform just a single task: the expression of his inner rage through a nearly uninterrupted caterwaul of shrieks, yelps, and moans. Half the time, he doesn’t even sound human — more like a rhino with a power line up its butt.
All this chaos is enhanced with squirming electronic effects and a LOUD yet surprisingly well-sculpted production (some would label it “in the red,” but it’s not that blown-out). However, with just four tracks totaling over 40 minutes of impenetrable jamming, Early Teeth feels like it never ends, clearly violating one of punk’s fundamental protocols: Keep it short, stupid.
This article appears in Mar 14-20, 2007.