I had the privilege of seeing Worcester, MA’s Fuming Mouth early last year with Arizona’s own Gatecreeper. It was a treat; a wholesome helping of nutritional, sonic hell. I recently had a chance to have a chat with two of the three members of this Massachusetts death metal triad. Enjoy as we talk about Carcass, horror films and their plans for the present and future.
Please introduce yourself and your roles in Fuming Mouth.
Mark: I sing and play guitar.
Rob: I play the drums.
We were initially going to do this interview while you guys were seeing Carcass, what’s everyone’s favorite album by them?
Mark: Not an album, but the 87′ Demo. It’s insane. It has so many standout riffs. A lot of that you get to see on Reek of Putrefaction but not in the same light.
Rob: Real tough to pick, but I go back to Symphonies of Sickness the most.
You guys released the Lotus Demo late last year on cassette and recently as a 7″. What influences were put into the demo?
Mark: There’s a lot of influences that went into it. Probably too many. But the whole thing is really based around the framework of Sick Disgust Eternal by Grave. An intro track and three songs no filler.
The new demo, in comparison to your first one, is darker in tone and has a more hardcore edge. What was the intent going in on the recording?
Mark: Going in we really wanted to make it one comprehensive idea front to back and make it very raw. Mistakes and all included. Honestly we reworked so many ideas over and over and over again that after a while the idea we started with turned into something completely different.
That rawness came out for sure, it added a nasty flavor. What was different before this transformation?
Rob: The first demo was recorded in a nice clean studio on Cape Cod whereas the Lotus demo was recorded in a practice space so that explains the production I’d say.
Mark: I don’t even remember what some of the original riffs we had were.
The opening track reminded me of an 80s horror flick, like the Nightmare on Elm Street theme. Was this intentional ? What are your favorite horror movies?
Mark: That’s literally the intention and main influence on it, so that thank you. Halloween is my number one for sure. Pretty stereotypical answer, but the series is so good. I watched this movie called Cooties last night that I’m talking to Rob about now. It’s with Elijah Wood, it’s so good. Dolls too, that’s an awesome one. I like anything where toys come to life and kill, Puppet Master etc.
The Halloween series is a favorite, I recently picked up the Producers Cut of the sixth one. Killer toys are a good one too, did you dig Small Soldiers?
Mark: I love Small Soldiers. That was my favorite movie when I was a kid.
Rob: Small Soldiers is classic, who doesn’t love it. Gorgonites for life.
Agreed. The last track is titled “Endless Waltz” – is that a Gundam Wing reference?
Mark: Well, we always called it “waltz” and we wanted to keep the name. So we were thinking of other ways to expand on it and added “endless.” In my head I thought “ah damn that’s definitely Gundam Wing” and then I thought “that’s sick.”
Anime fans at all? Any specific shows that you guys like?
Rob: Not so much for me, but I definitely dug DBZ back in the day. Vegeta is still badass.
Mark: Honestly, I have been watching a ton of Gundam. Mobile Fighter G specifically. Going to start up AGE soon.
Mobile Fighter G was the best, that and Wing. Can’t go wrong with DBZ.
I read prior that lyrically the band avoids common death metal tropes such as gore themes. What topics are commonly covered?
Mark: It’s awesome – don’t get me wrong man. But it’s just so overplayed! And you’re never going to write anything as cool as Autopsy, so why bother? I try and take more of a Schuldiner route and write about real things. Things that are really scary. But we did do a song on Lotus that was as close to gore as we’ll ever get.
Rob: The second I hear gore lyrics, it just goes in one ear and out the other.
Mark: Present day ones, at least.
What topics do you personally touch upon in a Schulinder way?
Mark: Suicide, being sad, metal anguish and whatever. A lot more of the psychological side than anything.
Are further releases from Fuming Mouth coming out on Frigid Misery or at all this year?
Mark: Oh yeah. I don’t know about Frigid Misery. It’s such a new thing that Sam is doing and he’s already got his hands full with Triple B. As far as other releases go, we’re putting out a collective of all the material we recorded with Sean Fitz that will have a new song on it called “Sword and Scale.” It’s in the vein of the original material we had, but waaay way heavier. We’ll hopefully have that song out in the next month or two. And then at the end of April we’ll be going to Converse Rubber Tracks in Boston to record another new song. I can’t wait for that one.
Being that Triple B is a dominantly hardcore label and Frigid Misery’s first release was the Lotus 7″, do you feel Fuming Mouth aligns itself with the hardcore community or the metal scene aesthetically, or does it tread a fine line between the two?
Rob: I used to be really dead set on being a metal band and not a hardcore band, but now I think it’s kind of silly to force it like that. Fuming Mouth is mostly influenced by metal, but I think there’s a hardcore edge that creeps out, whether intentional or not.
Mark: I don’t know man – we’re too nerd metal for hardcore and too hardcore for metal.
Walking the line it is. Cliché question, but where the band get its name?
Mark: There was this band called Breathing Fire from New Bedford, so we took the next best thing.
Will your split with Gatlin see a physical release in the compilation you mentioned prior?
Rob: Yeah definitely – it’s being remixed and remastered, and those two songs are being revamped so that the comp sounds more cohesive.
You’re playing a handful of shows with Outer Heaven this month. Are there any touring plans on the horizon?
Mark: We don’t have anything planned beyond that. But I did just buy a van so we’re ready to go.
That’s awesome. Are there any current bands you’d recommend people catch?
Mark: Biohazard, Immortal, The Icemen, Bolt Thrower and Celtic Frost.
Any contemporaries?
Mark: As far as newer bands go, I think the new God’s Hate album is awesome. There’s a band called Trepanation from the West that I have loved since they put out their demo. I’m hoping they become active again.
Any parting words for CVLT Nation’s readers:
Mark: Cold Lake is a pretty good record.
Fuming Mouth’s discography can be enjoyed here.
