Album review: Fuming Mouth – Last Day Of Sun

It’s been four years since Fuming Mouth dropped their weighty full-length debut The Grand Descent, and those who have been awaiting their return will not be disappointed by the 12 tracks making up its successor. At heart a death metal band with strong crust leanings, the Massachusetts-based unit kick at the edges of these genres to create something unique and for the most part engaging.

Roaring to life with the weighty Out Of Time, they make it clear that they have only gotten tighter and more vicious in their absence. With the majority of the vocals screamed, they shake things up with a clean chorus on The Silence Beyond Life, and Leaving Euphoria is either dreamy or simply drugged up, taking you into strange psychedelic territory.

There’s some ugly loping doom on the 54-second Disgusterlude, but those looking for all out sonic violence should head directly to Kill The Disease, which is a straight up thrasher. Burial Practices is also a beast, starting with some ugly loping before kicking things up several gears, destroying all. There’s something pleasingly apocalyptic about the whole thing, whatever speed they play at or how much distortion they throw at you it is pervasively dark and obnoxious.

They invest everything they have left in five and a half minute closer Postfigurement, which starts off in full on Viking mode, later conjuring some layered vocal harmonies beneath the roared lead vocal, and climaxing with a swirling guitar melody that is frankly gorgeous. Any way you look at it, it is good to have them back.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Entombed, High On Fire, Exhumed

Last Day Of Sun is released on November 3 via Nuclear Blast