EP Review: If I Lose Everything, You All Lose Everything by Mouthbreather
EP Artwork for If I Lose Everything, You All Lose Everything by Mouthbreather
Self-identifying as Gadget Metal (whatever the fuck that means), Massachusetts outfit, Mouthbreather have been busy cooking up a ferocious storm since their 2023 album, “Self-Tape.” After taking a hiatus from touring and producing, many took to the internet to question the whereabouts of the band, and whether a return was even on the cards for them. People speculated that Mouthbreather was done for - after a few of the members started another project along with the drummer of fromjoy -and began focusing their attention on that, since it replicated the sound they were missing but with the addition of clean vocals. The shadows remained full, and Mouthbreather were silently waiting to make their comeback to the scene, with an arsenal of tracks designed to blow the doors off its hinges, marking their return as a formidable one, because “If I Love Everything, You All Lose Everything” is antagonising, and it means serious business.
There’s no easing into this EP, as the opener, Terrified, depicts exactly how you should feel for this, and all subsequent tracks. Within the first 10 seconds you’re jumped by a brutal wall of sound, stapled with panic sounds that will torment your fight or flight mode. Mouthbreather, despite their name, leave no breathing room for listeners, as they make sure that every down-tuned riff, every snare hit, and every vocal line is felt underneath your skin, rattling your bones with the intention of making them crack under intense pressure. A lot of bands chase heavy for the sake of seeing just how heavy they can really go, but these guys are different, they’re meticulous and purposeful, and the added flair of the aforementioned “gadget” sounds amplify their art, placing it into territory alongside some of the most intriguing bands doing this style.
Each track tackles a different topic as this is not an EP that follows a singular theme, and that’s courtesy of all band members contributing to the writing process. The only thing that’s a given is that from start to finish, “If I Lose Everything, You All Lose Everything” is laced with hostility, spite, and turmoil. With the band confronting an array of harsh realities, it’s an unfortunate expectation that a lot of listeners will relate on some level, whether it’s to one track in particular, or many. Where there’s no room for rest during the listening experience, there is a mountain of opportunities for raw expression and emotional release. Every lyric is demanding, and with those comes the encouragement from colossal riffs. It's inevitable that the ground of any venue Mouthbreather step foot in following this release will succumb to the weight of a myriad of individuals dangerously moshing and scrambling to mic grab to scream along to these tracks.
Starting with a pile on riff that is guaranteed to activate the neurons in your brain and send you full caveman mode, is You Look Down On Me, the penultimate track that is so disgustingly abrasive it’s criminal. Imagine having cinder blocks tied to your feet and thrown into the depths of the ocean and that’s exactly what this song embodies, both instrumentally and lyrically. Although thematically the EP addresses topics that all have the same underlying tone of despair, this track in particular bears the weight of adversity and refuses to crumble, making it the standout. As mentioned before, all members contributed to different parts of the writing process, and here is where drummer, Nick Cates, laid bare for all those to see. When describing the parts of his mind he had to expose in order to write, he had this to say, “You Look Down On Me is a song about surviving an overdose… the idea that others view it from the outside differently than it feels on the inside. People told me I was lucky to be alive, but waking up didn’t erase my addiction, it didn’t erase my pain or depression. Plainly, it felt like I was right back where I started.” The progression of the track, while it remains belligerent in terms of musicality, switches from external accountability, to internal, which is reflected in the lyricism. The “you” goes from being directed towards those on the outside, and how they viewed the situation before them, to self acknowledgement, with lyrics such as, “You did this to me” and, “Gonna choke in your prison cell” directing the confrontation at the part of an addicts mind that pulls them deeper, and further away from recovery.
Mouthbreather have taken their time with “If I Lose Everything, You All Lose Everything,” and it’s so evident in every aspect that’s been fed into its creation. The placement of each riff serves to instil visceral aggression where needed, and the flicks of panic soundscapes short circuit your nervous system, constantly leaving you on the edge of your seat. It’s unsettling in a cathartic way, and is nothing short of commendable for dedicating themselves to releasing what can only be described as pieces of scrunched up paper holding their darkest thoughts that were discarded out of uncertainty, only to be picked back up, flattened out, and displayed with an honourable and shameless mindset.
If I Lose Everything, You All Lose Everything is out on Friday 7th August on all streaming platforms, released independently.
FFO: Chamber, END, Wristmeetrazor
