Sabertooth Zombie Make Carnivorous, Creative Hardcore

Despite the fact that they’ve apparently made fifteen releases in the past ten years,I wasn’t familiar with Sabertooth Zombie,  until Decibel recently premiered their new song “Gardens of Loss.” So I guess I should go back and do some research — ’cause if the rest of their shit is this good, I’m way on board.

Sabertooth Zombie aren’t a metal band… truth be told, even to call them a hardcore band is kinda pushing it — “Gardens of Loss” is light by the standards of bands like Converge and Xibalba. But they’re on a hardcore label (Twelve Gauge Records) and, according to a press release, are “situated within a circle of NorCal bands representing the forward-thinkingest branch of the hardcore tree: Trash Talk, Ceremony, Creative Adult, et al.” So they’re definitely “hardcore friendly,” for lack of a better term.

Whatever whatever whatever — the most important thing is that Sabertooth Zombie rock. “Gardens of Loss” is catchy and dirty and a little more creative than your average punk song: it’s got a horn section, but not in an irritating ska kinda way so much as a “How can we make this infectious song even MORE infectious?”, The Dillinger Escape Plan/”Milk Lizard” kinda way. The song works equally well as a good-time party tune or mad-as-hell mosh monster.

Stream “Gardens of Loss” below. It appears on Sabertooth Zombie’s new album, Human Performance IV, which comes March 3 on Twelve Gauge. Pre-order it here.