Nashville-based Showing Teeth (Addison, or addithun to her ~250k TikTok followers) erupted onto the scene with her debut single ‘Labyrinth’, followed by her second single ‘Rip’ that heralded the announcement of her debut EP, A Fate Worse Than Loneliness. While there was certainly some negativity online – as there always is – with many becoming aware of her thanks to viral snippets of covers she did in her car, in many interviews she’s taken pains to point out this was simply for fun, and she’s always been working on her own music rather than pivoting after virality.
That is to say, there were certainly high expectations behind her first release under Showing Teeth, and to her credit, A Fate Worse Than Loneliness very much delivers. ‘Bad Exchanges’, its final single, swiftly erupts into a barrage of screams, churning riffs and even at times, blastbeats. It’s a blistering opener, emotion spilling over as she screams, “Why can’t I just be happy? / This feeling always ends,” or the incendiary “Oh god, it’s all fucking bleak.” ‘Labyrinth’ follows, and its impact arguably increases, the freneticism before being flipped on its head by the far more delicate chorus. It’s still driven by pummelling drums and visceral screams, but the melodic changeup showcases a whole different side to Showing Teeth. ‘Make It Out’ – which was celebrated with its own video on release day – is another easy standout with its inversion of the previous format and a deceptively hooky bridge.
“While she’s been embraced by much of the modern metalcore movement, it’s evident from interviews and much of the guitar work, especially that Showing Teeth is just as rooted in progressive metal...”
Throughout the EP, Showing Teeth unpacks themes of what it means to belong; having grown up in a conservative Christian household, then finding heavy music later, she found that sometimes the grass wasn’t greener, with communities supposedly espousing acceptance being just as judgemental or potentially even toxic. That underscores the title of the EP, A Fate Worse Than Loneliness, and also makes a positive case for being alone if it means not being around the wrong sort of people.
The messaging isn’t heavy-handed, either, being drawn from personal experience and delivered in an almost conversational way, while still allowing the emotion to punch through, such as on ‘Shallow Grave’, where she rages, “I sacrifice my loneliness for something much worse / I beg a God for changes, but I can’t be heard.” ‘Paradigm’ closes the EP after an interlude featuring a sample of her grandmother giving advice that’s clearly stuck with her to be included here, an arresting finale that dials up the emotional weight and stunning vocal melodies.
While she’s been embraced by much of the modern metalcore movement, it’s evident from interviews and much of the guitar work, especially that Showing Teeth is just as rooted in progressive metal, with Addison herself citing bands like Periphery or Hail The Sun as key to her own journey. A Fate Worse Than Loneliness hits many of the right notes; there’s feral anger and pain, but also a sense of fun that flows through the EP, and it’s clear this is a body of music she cares deeply about making. She’s only just at the start of her journey, and it’ll be exciting to see how things develop from here.