This is the third album from US death metal band Fuming Mouth.
Fuming Mouth play a hybrid brand of death metal and hardcore, adopting an approach which sees them cover roughly 50% of each style across the record. The Ringing Bell contains 34 minutes of the band’s crushing material, so get ready to flail around wildly.
For a rough starting point for approaching The Ringing Bell, think Swedish death metal mixed with old-school heavy hardcore. The songwriting balances both halves of their influences well, leading to a record that has high energy and is effortlessly entertaining. Roughly, a mix of the following bands wouldn’t be an inappropriate description – Entombed, Gatecreeper, and Nails, with even a slight touch of Pantera in some of the bonebreaking riffs. The vocals skew hardcore rather than death metal, although the singer does use growls to augment the rest of his harsh shouts and screams. Gang vocals appear semi-regularly too.
The songs on The Ringing Bell are largely short, brutal, and energetic. They make you want to move. The album is ripe with huge metallic riffs, pit-friendly grooves, and colossal rhythms. Throw in some screaming solos and meaty beatdowns, and you have yourself a punishingly good time. Melodic leads are deployed sparingly, but in key places. A song like Hidden in the Moor is a good example of Fuming Mouth using this aspect of their music effectively, as is the title track, which also boasts rare emotive clean singing and is a well-crafted mood piece.
Fuming Mouth’s music is well-executed, and it’s obvious that they have a clear vision for what they want to achieve. They stomp around and destroy the place with a charismatic abandon, delivering a collection of songs that demand your enjoyment. The Ringing Bell is a record that’s easy to like, with songs that are instantly engaging and relatable. There are hooks aplenty, and it’s heavier than a wrecking ball.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 