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What’s up, maw agapers. This week Ryan and I spew some word slop from our verbal orifices as we endeavor to make sense of the crushing LP, I’m Sorry Mr. Salesman, from the heavy hardcore quartet known as MouthBreather. As is typical, we incorporate nonsensical ways of explaining the bloodcurdling tones lacerating our eardrums. How the hell does Nic Cage getting swarmed by bees describe a droning guitar texture? Or, what would it be like to get your cranial fluids sipped through a crazy straw? We bring the outlandish tangents, and you just embrace them. If you have a hankering for some quality Massachusetts hardcore, look no further.
MouthBreather will leave your mouth ajar as they weave a conceptual tale rife with searing vocal hooks and gnarled riffs. I found myself incessantly repeating the reprised line, “Don’t bring me back” over and over again in my hollow noggin. Mathcore skronkage (can I trademark this made-up word?) douses the dour atmosphere with synapse-frying discordance. All the while, sterilized guitar thrums purport a harrowing glimpse into the seedy doll-making factory managed by none other than Mr. Salesman himself. Though we could not firmly grasp the album’s concept from front to back, its violent hardcore spasms and maniacal vocal deluges kept us enraptured across its succinct 24-minute run time.
Beyond the excoriating beatdowns, MouthBreather does not shy away from experimentation. Tarnished glints of nu-metal leer from rotted alloy structures, and the odd melody or two bite with teeth-licking glee. Standout bass moments and blistering drum pummels are aplenty too. This is just a flat-out fun fucking album, and I recommend checking out their music videos as well. You got weird and kinky red room foreplay (“Tension Underbite”), a dude losing his shit at a talent show (“Cotton Shot/Daunt”), and Mr. Salesman playing Russian roulette (“Wasted Science”).
I’m Sorry Mr. Salesman was released on May 7, 2021 via Dark Trail Records. The quartet emerged in 2017 with their debut EP, Pig, and in 2018 they released a follow-up entitled Dollmeat. Now get to listening and have yourself a cathartic blast. Thank you for tuning in!
* Please note: The full digital release of I’m Sorry Mr. Salesman is not yet available. Last we heard, the digital version is indefinitely delayed until a later date, which has not been specified at the time of writing. We will update this post when the digital album is out in the ether. In the meantime, you can experience four of the album’s eleven tracks on MouthBreather’s Bandcamp page.
* UPDATE: MouthBreather announced their signing with Good Fight Records on August 13, 2021. Digital distribution of I’m Sorry Mr. Salesman is being handled by Good Fight, in addition to a new vinyl variant, CDs, shirts, and a hoodie. You can peruse MouthBreather’s physical merch over at Good Fight Records’ website. The full digital album is now available on MouthBreather’s Bandcamp page and all major streaming platforms.
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You can support Mouthbreather by following them on Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Also, be sure to follow Dark Trail Records on Bandcamp and Facebook as they have been dropping some seriously hefty tunes from bands like Pacmanthemovie, Weston Super Maim, and fallfiftyfeet.
If you’d like to support us beyond listening to our podcast, you can do so by becoming a patron on our Patreon page where you can read all of the notes we typed in preparation for album reviews and gain early access to upcoming episodes before their official release. If Patreon isn’t your jam, we recently set up an FCU Venmo account (@From-Corners-Unknown) and a Ko-Fi account in case you want to support us via other channels.
Up next on the docket is a review of Cities Last Broadcast’s The Umbra Report, Pär Boström’s solo sophomore LP on the cinematic dark ambient label Cryo Chamber. It will drop in two weeks; take care until then!
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