A concept album becomes a concept-reality hybrid after a near brush with death. That’s the background of this “death metal / hardcore for the deep thinker”. Ten years in existence, this is the second full release by the band from Massachusetts.
“Out of Time” bears out the apocalyptic nature of the album’s title. Deep and hard-hitting, its tempo changes are marked out by a growly and punishing riff. The fare is deathly and technical. “The Silence Beyond Life” creeps forward, digging big grooves and featuring a measured hardcore-style chorus. After a break, the song returns with a solo and echoing hardcore. The album vacillates between heavy death metal and a less obtrusive hardcore presence. I wouldn’t say it’s impenetrable but it is very grey. Here are there a guitar solo appears to liven up the dark proceedings, as happens on “The Sign of Pain”. But make no mistake – this is punishing stuff. The end of “The Sign of Pain” drags us growlingly through figurative barbed wire and mud. “Leaving Euphoria” starts with a slow, nightmare-evoking, drunken-sounding distorted chant. There’s a bit of Tiamat abouts its stupefying aura. This is just a passing phenomenon as this shape-shifting album turns to the hard-hitting death n roll of “I’ll Find You”. There’s even a hint of melody in the beat, but with roaring anguish.
After what Fuming Mouth call their “Disgusterlude” – no description necessary but it’s good – the band go further upbeat in tempo with the death-thrash intonations of “Kill the Disease”. That at least is the case at the beginning. The song reeks despair and descends into doom before coming back defiantly. Fuming Mouth just don’t do simple structures. The title song has an air of modern metalcore about it. It’s very measured and controlled. It’s interesting too as a haunting chorus rises behind the thumping beat. R.I.P. (Rest in Piss) returns us to the up tempo, melodic end of things, and is a headbanger, breaking down and ramping up and ramping down in the heaviest of ways. “Burial Practices” starts like an ode to digging graves before breaking out fierily and returning to the original idea. All that remains is “Postfigurement”, the final piece of multi-layered and dirty death metal shrapnel. Voices are left hanging in the air before the guitar plays out its final sombre tune.
“Last Day of Sun” is an accomplished work of dark metal. It’s complex in its structures but it’s always controlled as it follows its largely death metal path.
(7/10 Andrew Doherty)
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