Chaotic New York grinders The Sawtooth Grin released just one album during their initial 1999-2004 run, 2001's Cuddlemonster, along with some other miscellaneous stuff, and though their existence was brief and relatively obscure, they've influenced a lot of the weirdo heavy shit that's come out over the past few years, especially the stuff that's usually associated with the mathcore and "sasscore" genres. This makes the timing perfect for what The Sawtooth Grin have just done: they've just released their first new album in 21 years! It's called Good., and it is indeed good. They're pretty much doing the same thing they were doing back in the day, but they sound sharper and tighter now than they did back then. And that we're getting this three days after the first Dr. Acula album in three years? What a time to be alive.

The band writes:

As the saying goes:
"Anything can happen on Halloween."
I don't know if you had "The Sawtooth Grin Releases a new album" in your rolodex of Tricks or Treats, but here we are.
“Good.” was written and arranged over long distances and timelines, in sickness and in health,
by The Sawtooth Grin.
It was recorded at Backroom Studios By Kevin Antreassian.
[...] "Honestly, I'm at a total loss for words. I think I spent them all writing this album. I'd like to say "Thank you, I love you." to my Bandmates-In-Crime, and to anyone reading this. You all played a much larger role in making this happen than you realize."
-RL
“The path to this album existing and being shared with the world has been incredibly long and difficult. I no more understand its actuality than I understand my own actuality. I’m instead filled with a sense of wonder by the two. The gratitude I feel for the opportunity to create this thing with people that are dear to me is beyond my capacity to articulate. We’ve made something that we feel is sincere and my sitting here typing my feelings about that is a reality I never thought likely, or possible, or deserved.”
-JS
"...It was weak and deformed, it felt like baby bird freshly mauled by twelve inch bicycle tires. It gazed upward to fix its crooked gaze on our stupefied mugs, and whispered hoarsely, “love you, too.”
Sprinkle gave Good a heart so it could be wounded. I gave it a brain so it could ponder its solitude. Rich gave it a voice so it could wrap itself around your throat. Dj gave it fists so it could smash. Kevin painted its portrait, so it could know itself.
It’s Good.”
-JK

Listen:

Read about Cuddlemonster in our recent list of 2000s chaotic hardcore...

25 Chaotic Hardcore, Mathcore & Sasscore Albums from the 2000s That Are Seminal Today