Faetooth: A Sign of the Times
It’s been an absolute crap show of a year, hasn’t it?
With political turmoil and a general sense of unease hanging in the air, it’s easy to feel like we’re all spiraling. After the political (or more precisely: cultural) assassination, I’ve seen people I love and respect giving in to their worst impulses, and frankly, I was ready to throw in the towel. I was ready to give up.
Then, at the perfect moment, the band Faetooth released their new album, Labyrinthine.
It’s a dark, soul-crushing album for a dark, soul-crushing time—but with glimmers of hope that make it so damn good. And ironically, it’s a (Fairy) doom band that’s providing that hope.
A New Generation’s Voice
Faetooth is a Gen Z band, and their music is a raw, unflinching look at the world through their eyes. As a self-proclaimed “damn boomer,” I can only imagine the burden of growing up in a world dealing with the mess my generation has created. Labyrinthine feels like an honest expression of that trauma and the confusion of seeing the “adults” behave so terribly.
Their initial release, Remnants of the Vessel, was an audiophile’s dream—a meticulously recorded piece where you could hear every detail. But with Labyrinthine, they’ve done away with the perfect layering and pristine sound, and the result is a far more mature and impactful work. It’s clear they didn’t try to “do better” in a technical sense; they just focused on the content, the intent, and the message. This album feels like a powerful statement of what it’s like to be them: inheriting and living in a world that previous generations have totally fucked up.
Labyrinthine is heavy music for a new generation that, honestly, I don’t fully understand
But this is not a political album. There’s no obvious agenda here that I can sense. Faetooth doesn’t seem to be taking sides as much as revealing how it feels to be, well, Faetooth. They’re not lecturing but revealing.
Faetooth: Music for the Lost and Found
The sound of Labyrinthine is both heavy and delicate, thick and organic. The guitars are crushing, but the album isn’t a non-stop barrage of heaviness. Instead, Faetooth masterfully blends their doom and sludge with light, shimmery shoegaze moments that create a stunning contrast. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on the sound, a blanket of heaviness drops, and you’re plunged back into the intensity.
This, folks, is Fairy Doom.
The vocal styling is equally diverse, weaving between clean and harsh vocals, and even what I’d describe as a hazy, ethereal quality reminiscent of bands like Frayle and Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard (MWWB). This band is flipping the bird at their predecessors by ignoring them. You won’t find the typical Black Sabbath or Acid Bath influences here: Their musical vocabulary is more recent, more personal, and entirely their own.
Labyrinthine: A Perfect Album for Our Doomed-out Times
I honestly thought I had my album of the year picked out. But now, Faetooth is a serious contender. This album continually amazes me, and each listen reveals another layer of craft and intent.
Labyrinthine was not made for me. I am not the target audience. I don’t know how many Boomers are gonna dig this, or how many Gen X-ers are going to let go of their (much deserved) cynicism and give Faetooth a chance.
Labyrinthine is heavy music for a new generation that, honestly, I don’t fully understand. But I do know this: my generation has caused them a lot of pain and a lot of bullshit. And if I understand the lyrics correctly, this album is Faetooth letting us know how they feel about it.
It’s anthemic in a way that’s completely unique—full of hope, determination, and a refusal to give up. I believe this album will become a rallying cry for many.
I really hope you listen to it. Like I said in my video review (above), I also hope it doesn’t hit you the way it does me, because I don’t want you to be feeling the way I am right now. But if you are, Faetooth is simply the best expression of it that I’ve heard all year.
