Band/Artist: Fuming Mouth
Place of Origin: Milford, MA
Album Title: Last Day of Sun
Album Release Date: November 3, 2023
Record Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Genre: Death Metal
For Fans Of: Gatecreeper, Creeping Death, Frozen Soul, Venom Prison, Tomb Mold, Mammoth Grinder
Social Links: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Bandcamp
Bio:
A fiery, resurrected rage barrels its way out of hell’s erupting chasms with blistering fury; Fuming Mouth has returned. Lead singer, guitarist, and founder Mark Whelan emerges triumphant after a life-threatening battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, rekindling the inferno of their music with Fuming Mouth‘s second full-length album, Last Day of Sun.
Press Release:
What initially began as a full-on, fictional concept album underwent a profound transformation into a concept-reality hybrid, largely influenced by Whelan’s harrowing conflict with his health and a near brush with death. Just three weeks away from recording the album, Whelan was struck with a devastating cancer diagnosis. While bravely fighting the illness, he rewrote melodies, drum sections, and lyrics, infusing the music with his personal journey of struggle and hope.
Last Day of Sun roars to life with the opening track, “Out of Time”, setting the stage for a city on the brink of impending darkness. The sun is destined to extinguish in a mere 24 hours, leaving panic, and mayhem sweeping through the streets. The people grapple with their inevitable deaths, faced with a crucial choice – will they find a way to overcome the end, or will their own insanity lead them to a vast demise? Each song takes place during a different hour of the day, unveiling a unique facet of the city’s challenges as the sun’s last rays grow dimmer.
In “The Silence Beyond Life” the desperate escape from impending doom is portrayed. As the world collapses around them, they strive to avoid defeat, the end, and the silence that follows. The haunting track, “The Sign of Pain”, describes the desperation to be saved by a higher power as the end comes into focus. Fear driven people claw, bite, and drag each other to get inside the sanctuary of a church one last time, resulting in its ultimate collapse. The song shakes loudly with guttural vocals and guitars that echo through chambers of torment, amplifying the sense of dread and destruction.
“I’ll Find You” delivers a powerful and heavy love song, capturing the essence of knowing you have just one day left to live. The protagonist embarks on a relentless journey, surmounting all obstacles to find the one they love and spend those precious final moments together. Whelan openly acknowledges that “my fight with cancer reverberates thematically throughout the entire album, but the track ‘Kill The Disease’ directly addresses my illness and the battles I faced.” It serves as a pivotal moment in the album, emphasizing the duality between songs like “Leaving Euphoria”, which speaks of surrendering to fate, and “Kill The Disease”, which urges listeners to fight back against the darkness.
The recording sessions began in October 2022, with Grammy Award winning Kurt Ballou of Converge at his studio, God City, in Salem, Massachusetts. Ballou reached out to Whelan after his battle with cancer and encouraged him to get back to their previously scheduled recording session. Working closely with Ballou in both engineering and production, the band found a wonderful and collaborative experience, as Ballou invested himself wholeheartedly in shaping their sound and vision. Salem itself also helped shape the album, as the Halloween Season had begun. Droves of tourists and residents mixing with people in costume made the streets of Salem seem like “Last Day of Sun” had come to life. The city where the Witch Trials took place presented the perfect setting for the album to be recorded.
At the genesis of this record, there was no other artist that could have captured the album’s essence better than Mariusz Lewandowski, with whom the band had already established a creative relationship through his work on the cover art of The Grand Descent. Tragically, Mariusz passed away while working on the album artwork, presenting the band with an immense obstacle to overcome. In tribute to his spirit and legacy, they joined forces with the talented artist Stefan Todorovic who crafted an evocative album cover depicting a Faustian city crumbling amidst the gray and sandy storms of the apocalypse. A colossal monster blocks the sun and hovers above the city as it burns, smoky buildings topple to the ground; all a visual representation of the chaos and darkness that permeates the album.
Fuming Mouth stands resilient, a testament to the indomitable human spirit. Amidst the carnage and depression lies a flicker of hope – a beacon of light that emanates from within. But as the last rays of the sun cast their shadow, the question remains. Will the people in Last Day of Sun survive? Will their worst inhibitions play out, will they rip each other to shreds, will they give up? Will everything they’ve built have been for not? Will they find a way to overcome, or will their panic lead to failure?
FUMING MOUTH is:
Mark Whelan – Guitar, Vocals
Andrew Budwey – Guitar
Pat Merson – Bass
James Davis – Drums
Catch FUMING MOUTH on tour!
