My brain does weird things when it encounters strange and stirring sounds, meaning that sometimes it nears panic mode because I’m not quite sure how to feel comfortable taking on what I’m hearing. That’s kept some types of music at arm’s length just because the processing takes a little longer, and my amygdala lets me know when that time has arrived, if that time arrives.

Everything on “The Path Narrows,” the fourth record from progressive death metal explorers Baring Teeth, should fall into that category. Their style is brutally progressive, so much so that making sense of what you’re hearing often takes more than one visit. Yet their music always has clicked with me more than it really should and what the band—bassist/vocalist Scott Addison, guitarist/vocalist Andrew Hawkins, drummer Jason Roe—commits to permanence over these eight tracks is thrilling and violent simultaneously. This isn’t nerdy noodling for the sake of displaying chops. The trio is plenty capable, and their musicianship is stunning, but their songs never get lost in technique and always feel volcanic and creative, making their records enthralling affairs.

“The Gate” is a strange, roaring intro track that feels surreal and strange, leading into “Obsolescence” that’s immediately tricky and twists your brain into a pretzel. Aggressive bursts shoot from every angle, slamming you through a stomach-jerking journey that’s turbulent and crushing. Bendy fire, ferocious growls, and angling heat make it nearly impossible to catch your breath. “Culled” sparks a strange fire, and the playing races over ground, flies through the air, and takes your anxiety on a trip. The bass plods as the harshness challenges, bringing on full aggression, a bruising tempo, and a slashing assault that turns your flesh into ribbons. “Rote Mimesis” is hypnotic and harsh, the growls tearing into bone, the guitars adding an airiness that has clouds lowering to the surface. The roars penetrate, crazed and cosmic guitars do a number on your brain, the gasps leaving you dizzy and destroyed.

“Liminal Rite” lets sounds waft, adding calming and spacey vibes, tearing apart everything in its path. Roars crush as numbing aggression tears into muscle, harsh bluntness feels like a stiff jab to the gut, and everything fades into weirdness. “Wreath” explodes with manic power, bringing heavy crunch that mixes with sonic zaps that rattle your spine. Fast and molten runs stretch your mind but also pulverize you, a  mystical force erupts, and that tears through psychosis, punishing without apology, the bass blackening eyes. “Cadaver Synod” has raw roars and a twisting tempo, scorching with emotion and muscular dexterity. The playing eventually slows and simmers, the exhaust coats your lungs, and the pressure mounts, the sounds disappearing into the sky. Closer “Terminus” runs 11:01 and immediately launches into the cosmos, the force freezing as alien winds terminally chill your cells. Synth wafts as the growls roar, the playing getting rubbery, the drums pacing as the heat hangs ominously. The tensions begins to loosen just a bit, letting the boil turn to a simmer, the starry glaze drizzling and turning off your mind.

Baring Teeth’s power and energy remain unquestioned, and their tenacity is as muscular as ever on “The Path Narrows.” Their brand of progressive death metal always was more exciting and stomach filling than most, but they manage to surpass their earlier works on this album, hinting the bar for their possibilities might be so high, mere mortals can’t even see it. This is another impressive building block to whatever weird structure they’re building, and it’s a fucking blast to behold every time you take this neck-jerking journey alongside them.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/baringteeth

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://metalodyssey.8merch.us/

Or here (Europe): https://metalodyssey.8merch.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://i-voidhanger.com/