Hardcore act LeATHERMOUTH, a side project including My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero, released XO recently on Epitaph Records. Before you even start thinking bad things let me say that LeATHERMOUTH is not My Chemical Romance nor is their sound remotely close. Don’t judge this band until you pop the CD in and hear it for yourself as it has nothing to do with happy times or even emo pop punk. XO is brutal and has the anger of Gallows combined with the outspoken reflection on the world like the Dead Kennedys, a nice combination I might add. Add some fuming hate that has been building up for years and you have yourself one pissed off release.
Having not researched the band prior to my first listen, the only thing I knew about LeATHERMOUTH was that they, according to the CD booklet, were “bass, drums, two electric guitars, and vocals.” After some research I learned that they are a hardcore band formed almost out of pure bottled up anger by the guitarist of the chart topping wonders My Chemical Romance.
The band was actually formed by friends of Frank Iero who finally joined them after the band stated that their initial lead singer failed to write lyrics for the songs they created. Hearing this disappointing news, Frank Iero took the reigns as the lead singer of the band and wrote all the lyrics for the songs.
I still was not convinced of the idea of an almost pop punk band member being in a hardcore side project and almost passed on listening to the CD until I read what Frank Iero told Epitiaph.com:
"There's too much bad hair and white belts. Sometimes it nice to turn your brain off and just listen to someone sing about girls. I'm not knocking it. I do think there is a time and a place. But LeATHERMOUTH isn't like that... it's about hate. Hate that boils up inside and eats away at you, if you don't vomit it up you know it will eventually destroy you."
Article comments
1 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Wow.. An actual hardcore album and on Epitaph?! It's decent... I think the singing/screaming is spot on but the band just shouldn't rely on that "New Bomb Turks" kind of rock'n'roll riffage & drumming but that's my opinion...
Will we see a resurgence of this genre just like the comeback that Thrash is making? It would be nice! I would like to hear some more punk/thrash influences incorporated into the material as well.
Oh the days of D.R.I...How I miss'em