''I Am'' is the third studio album by American

metalcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...

band

Toothgrinder Toothgrinder is an American progressive metal band from Asbury Park, New Jersey. History Original members Wills Weller, Justin Matthews, Matt Arensdorf, Jason Goss, and Matt Mielke met during high school and informally formed the band after t ...

. The album was released on October 11, 2019 through

Spinefarm Records Spinefarm Records is an international record label. Founded in Finland in 1990, Spinefarm was acquired by Universal Music Group in 2002. History Spinefarm Records began as a mailorder distribution company, founded by Riku Pääkkönen. The c ...

Lyrical themes

Opening track "The Silence of a Sleeping WASP" is a sequel to "The Shadow" from the band's previous album '' Phantom Amour''. Lyrically, the songs deal with

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's concept of the shadow and how it deals with addiction and

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

. The album's title track also deals with themes of addiction, along with depression, anxiety, and co-dependency, among others.

Reception

''I Am'' polarized critics upon its release. Cryptic Rock gave the album a perfect score of 5/5, calling ''I Am'' the band's most complete work to date. ''Distorted Sound'' gave the album a highly positive review, praising the album's experimental but accessible sound along with Matthews's emotional lyrics. Zach Buggy of ''Dead Press!'' gave the album an overwhelmingly negative review, saying the aggressiveness of '' Nocturnal Masquerade'' and the progressiveness of '' Phantom Amour'' have been diluted and "boiled down into a melting pot of half-baked ideas" that results in "a bland, accessible mess." Buggy said the band comes off as "a less obnoxious

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, or as metal’s answer to

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." ''

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s Max Morin also gave an overwhelmingly negative review, saying the album sounds like every metal song on

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meshed together, resulting in a sound similar to

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and

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. Morin claimed the record was Toothgrinder selling out, getting rid of many of its heavier and experimental elements for a "pop sheen" and "radio-friendly production." Morin did praise the title track for the confessional lyrics of Justin Matthews and for the

djent Djent () is a subgenre of progressive metal, termed for an onomatopoeia of the guitar sound that characterizes it. While sources such as ''The Guardian'' and ''Guitar World'' describe djent as a Music genre, genre, some notable musicians includi ...

style riff.

Track listing

Personnel

*Justin Matthews – lead vocals *Johnuel Hasney – lead guitar, backing vocals *Jason Goss – rhythm guitar *Matt Arensdorf – bass, backing vocals *Wills Weller – drums

References

{{reflist 2019 albums Toothgrinder albums Spinefarm Records albums Albums produced by Matt Squire