Faetooth’s doom metal with hypnotic heartbeat

Los Angeles three-piece Faetooth are often associated with the phrase ‘fairy doom metal’ – an accidental genre sparked by an early effort at a sharp Instagram bio.         And though it may not have been intended to fully capture their sound, to some extent it does. Heavy and haunting, the band has all the noise and distortion of hardcore and metal, with an ethereal, hypnotic heartbeat that contributes to trancey live shows more befitting of a shoegaze band.

Faetooth will bring that sound to Galway’s Róisín Dubh on Saturday, January 31, largely performing songs from their recently released sophomore album, Labyrinthine.

“There’s a mythical and mystical, magic aspect of not just our sound, but our identity as artists – I think it’s always going to be a great symbol for us,” says bassist and vocalist Jenna Garcia.

“We’re not dressing up as fairies or going into the whole theme, but it’s always a part of us.”

Shoegaze is, in fact, an influence for Faetooth. For Garcia in particular, there are pop punk roots and a love for My Chemical Romance. Bandmates Rah Kanan and Ari May all have large musical interests away from metal, but Faetooth stemmed from a shared a desire to start a heavier project.

“Our influences are definitely outside of metal completely. What drew us to lean into the heavy sound were touchstones between me and Ari.

“Chelsea Wolfe – some of her heavier stuff is a big influence for us. Some of the first stoner doom and sludge metal bands, Electric Wizard and Thou – stuff like that.

“I would say entry level doom and stoner [metal], which is fine – those are great bands. But those things definitely threaded the needle to the heavy anchor that is Faetooth. Everything else [comes from] our primary influences that we listened to in our youth and still today.”

There is an intrinsic, trancey core to Faetooth’s sound that emerges wholly on Labyrinthine. The overarching theme of the labyrinth hinges on a “dreamlike, wandering feeling”, Garcia says, and a deep, introspective exploration of the psyche.

 Pictured: Faetooth...debut Galway gig at the Róisín Dubh on Saturday, January 31.