Release Date April 10th, 2026
Format Digital/CD
Genre Dark Folk, Drone, Experimental Doom
Origin United States
Adam R. Bryant is the brain behind Cave Dweller, a project that usually dwells in the quiet, eerie corners of the New England wilderness. Based out of the Berkshires, Bryant isn’t just some musician. He’s a writer using these sounds to flesh out the world of his own novels. While the earlier stuff leaned heavily into the folk side of things, this third installment is a different beast entirely, born from leftover recording scraps and a sudden urge to get loud. This project isn't a hobby, it’s a deep-seated reaction to the dirt and trees of Massachusetts, filtered through a mind that clearly spends a lot of time alone in the woods.
"Showing Teeth" is a hell of a name because that’s exactly what this album does from the jump. It abandons the safety of acoustic strumming for a sound that is filthy and loaded with a heavy, sludge-driven attitude. It’s got a thick layer of filth over the melodies, making the whole experience feel like you’re being dragged through a briar patch in the middle of a storm. The folk roots are buried under a pile of distorted weight, and the transition into this heavier territory is handled with a total lack of concern for anyone’s expectations.
There is a real sense of spite in these compositions, echoing the idea that the land itself is pissed off at humanity. You can hear the influence of his other bands like Pando or Unfold bleeding through the cracks, bringing in that slow, suffocating doom vibe.
The guest vocals from Ariel Bryant and Stuart Harris add some extra layers of weirdness to the mix, keeping the atmosphere thick and suffocating. It’s a dirty, unpolished trek through the mountains that prioritizes a raw, primitive energy over any kind of studio magic or fancy production tricks.
The songwriting leans into a long-form structure where the tracks have space to rot and fester. It’s a sonic representation of a region that has seen far too much blood spilled over the centuries. The aggression here is blunt and honest, shedding the softer skin of the previous albums to reveal something much more skeletal and fierce. It captures the sound of nature reclaiming a collapsed pilgrim house, vine by vine and stone by stone, until there’s nothing left but the noise of the earth.
For those who wanted more of that gentle campfire folk, "Showing Teeth" is going to be a wake-up call that leaves a bruise. It’s a heavy-handed, sprawling mess of an album that manages to be both disgusting and weirdly captivating at the same time. Adam R. Bryant has channeled the local ghost stories and the bitterness of the woods into a collection of songs that refuse to play nice. If you want a record that sounds like it was recorded in a damp cellar under a mountain, this is the one you’re looking for.
Score: 7.0
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