Album Review: The Ringing Bell by Fuming Mouth
Cover art for The Ringing Bell by Fuming Mouth
Headbangers, two steppers, crowdkillers, assemble. Three years on from their last record, ‘Last Day of Sun’, Fuming Mouth have returned, and the evil moshmen are not taking prisoners.
Three singles were released prior to the record dropping, along with a surprise announcement letting the world know that a full-length was on the horizon. Smiles across the board, cries of ‘hell yeah’ filled the skies, and a patient sea of the unwashed masses took to the internet to stream, scream, and ponder. Now the record is here, and it’s glorious.
‘Last Day…’ was a record about survival. Bandleader Mark Whelan overcoming a cancer diagnosis and entering remission, and going forward to create an album as full of vitality as that one was remarkable at the time, and it’s apparent from a mere glance at the song titles that this record is a continuation of that. Cancer touches everyone at some point or another, and Mark is an example of how to let that change you for the better. It is inspirational to hear this band continue on, and sounding as furious as they are. Firing on all cylinders, it rages past you, through you, from start to finish.
The record starts furiously. Mosh the pain away as Cheat Death kicks into place. New addition Jay Freaking Weinberg slams the drums into submission as Mark Whelan screams along with his signature ferocity. Churning guitars bend before you and create a soundscape full of disharmonic unease, and as Mark’s howl reveals a sheer refusal to die, they give way to a triumphant guitar solo, and not for the last time on this record. The guitar solo has a worthy place on this album, providing character and a feeling of excitement to an otherwise macabre landscape.
Lyrical content front and back is laced with encouragement, self-determination, and a desire to be better and stronger than before. Finally Fearless is a perfect example of this:
‘My back’s against the wall. Conquer and thrive; I’ll take what’s mine. Driven to be stronger.’
Moments like this are enough to make anyone feel invincible. Finally, they are fearless, and so must we be. There’s very little in the way of metaphor here, just a frank honesty as to how one feels in the face of adversity. A matter of fact look into the mind of a man who has faced death and managed to overcome it. Little flair, very few whistles, just a desperate need to survive.
Fuming Mouth have and always will be by the moshers, for the moshers, but their sound has led them to audiences many would not reach willingly. Touring with bands such as Suffocation will increase your profile and expose you to the land of the bullet belt, and this is good, but staying true to your sound is not always on the agenda. It can lead to a desire to appeal, to conform, to fit in with a larger crowd. Fuming Mouth is not that band. Pit ready riffs from start to finish, and a structure that encourages pain from the start. This is an evil record for evil moshers, and it is beautiful.
Composition credits go solely to Mark and Jay, working in tandem to create a body of work that stands out amongst their back catalogue. This is their most accomplished album to date, and it is clear that it means everything to both of them. Fresh off the back of his Slipknot exit, Weinberg is in top form and is repeatedly showing that he means business. Blasts, two steps, undeniable talent. This is the best drum performance since the late great Cayle Sain laid waste to the band’s debut back in 2019. Mark Whelan is also at the peak of his powers. The aforementioned guitar solos are as triumphant as they are soul-nourishing, the beatdowns as heavy as ever, and riffs that just do not quit. His vocal is determined, it is angry, it is alive. HE is alive, and he is doing everything it takes to prove it.
Recording and mixing have been handled by Kurt Ballou, a name that brings joy and excitement wherever it shows up, and his God City associates. This is frequently at odds with the records he puts his hand to, as he is primarily responsible for some of the most sonically demanding records under the extreme umbrella. It is, however, incredibly appropriate. This album sounds fantastic. Guitars like buzzsaws, drums like dropping bombs. Bass so thick it could cause cardiac arrhythmia. Nothing about this record sounds safe - and yet, it sounds exactly as it should. Hidden in the Moor begins with an eerie notation reminiscent of a band like Mindforce, label mates with FM, and gives way to one of the most cathartic tracks on the entire record.
Fuming Mouth has always conveyed a sense of evil. It comes with their nature and is, by now, to be expected. But the added sense of vitality, of a need to be stronger, to prove themselves against the odds, has only made them better. This record is a shining beacon in a sky of desolate stars. Heavy hardcore and death metal played by beatdown heavies can oftentimes feel recycled and tired. Kicks up the arse such as this are essential in keeping things fresh. Reminding us and everyone around the sphere of the extreme that there is a knack to crafting something this moshable and this violent. Capital D Deathcore this is not, this is straight up death metal infused hardcore, and it is unapologetic in its tenacity.
We need bands like Fuming Mouth. They are special, and at times, we do not deserve them. Do yourself a favour and listen to this record. Don’t let them fall under the radar. Shatter the glass ceiling and overcome. Rise like smoke in the sky. The stream of life will pass us by, infinity will cease to be. Respect mortality. Respect Fuming Mouth.
FFO: Vomit Forth, Bolt Thrower, Jesus Piece, Fatal Realm, Gatecreeper
SCORE: 8/10
The Ringing Bell is out now via Triple B Records.
Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify | Instagram | Facebook