From the throes of a life-threatening illness to the dimming light of a fictional city, FUMING MOUTH’s new album encapsulates a poignant blend of reality and imagination. The sensation is all-consuming – a turbulent eruption of emotion, much like the magma spewing from a volcanic crater. FUMING MOUTH, with its newest release “Last Day of Sun,” doesn’t merely beckon our attention; it seizes it.
The band’s phoenix-like resurgence is symbolic of lead singer, guitarist, and founder Mark Whelan’s personal triumph over Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
“All that stands in my way can’t stand between the two of us
I’ve had enough
I’ll find you…”
Originally conceived as an entirely fictional concept album, “Last Day of Sun” underwent a metamorphosis. Whelan’s brush with mortality, a mere three weeks before entering the studio, changed everything. As he grappled with the terrifying prospect of Acute Myeloid Leukemia, melodies were rewritten, drum sections re-envisioned, and lyrics reborn, marrying his individual voyage with the broader narrative.
Imagine a city, teetering on the precipice of twilight. As “Out of Time” envelops listeners, they are transported to a metropolis faced with the harrowing notion that the sun will set for the last time in a mere 24 hours. As chaos reigns and desperation mounts, each song chronicles a different hour, unveiling the city’s multifaceted challenges under the waning sunlight.
“You’re the only thing that matters to me in this place of madness and disaster
Here and after, I will always find you first.”
Tracks like “The Silence Beyond Life” depict the frantic escape from impending oblivion, while “The Sign of Pain” paints a grim tableau of the last refuge – a church sanctuary – overrun by those consumed by fear. Their gut-wrenching pleas for salvation are underlined by the visceral power of the band’s instrumentation.
Amidst this cacophony stands “I’ll Find You” – a love anthem infused with urgency. Whelan’s experience threads through every lyric, each chord, and the overarching theme. While the album resonates with songs like “Leaving Euphoria,” an acceptance of destiny, it also houses the powerful “Kill The Disease” – an anthem for resilience and combat against overwhelming odds.
The backdrop for this audial journey? Salem, Massachusetts, during the Halloween season. Recording commenced in October 2022 under the watchful guidance of Grammy Award-winning Kurt Ballou of CONVERGE at his studio, God City. The streets of Salem, teeming with tourists and costumed denizens, seemed almost serendipitously in tune with the band’s narrative, echoing the eerie, impending apocalypse of “Last Day of Sun“.
Visualizing the album’s essence fell to artist Mariusz Lewandowski, known for his work on “The Grand Descent“. Yet, tragedy struck, with Lewandowski’s untimely passing during the project. In homage, Stefan Todorovic stepped in, crafting a riveting album cover mirroring the album’s tumultuous energy: a city succumbing to a Faustian apocalypse.
FUMING MOUTH, consisting of Mark Whelan on guitar and vocals, Andrew Budwey on guitar, and Pat Merson on bass, stands as a beacon of perseverance.
“Last Day of Sun” leaves us questioning our own resilience. Will they succumb to the overwhelming dark? Or will they, like Whelan, find a way to rise against all odds? Only time, and perhaps the last rays of the sun, will tell.
