Punknews.org LogoPunknews.org

Sign In | create an account

 
Staff IconMouth Sewn Shut - Pandemic = Solution (Cover Artwork)

Mouth Sewn Shut

Pandemic = Solution (2006)
Rodent Popsicle

Reviewer Rating:
User Rating:


Contributed by: Anchors
(
others by this writer | submit your own
)


Published on December 5th 2006


There’s something to be said for a band that at very least, had good intentions.

This applies to Mouth Sewn Shut on two completely different, but two equally important planes. The first of those is their lyrical approach. Seemingly not content with many happenings in both the U.S. and world at large of late, the band's vocalist uses his mic as a platform to get out a lot of the thoughts he has and problems he sees. The issue with that, is he doesn’t always portray those thoughts in the most eloquent or intelligent of manners. In “Get the Gun,” a track about how youth are overwhelmed with thoughts and sightings of guns and violence during their adolescence, half the song is the repetition of “Get the gun -- shoot, shoot, shoot! Get the gun -- shoot, shoot, shoot!." Surely there’s a better way than that to get the point across.

Other excerpts from the album are decidedly more intelligent and well-worded, making the record a bit of an inconsistent one. And that leads very well into the second issue that I have here. Again, good intentions with trying to mix their thrashy hardcore with some reggae and ska, but the second of those genre combinations just doesn’t translate all that well.

All-out blitzkriegs such as “Stealing from You” suit the band’s hard-nosed style and lyrical content to a 'T.' It’s buzzing and ferocious for the entire duration, and that’s just the way it should be. The wall of fuzz and distortion is only broken by the razorwire vocals, and the subsequent combination shows their prowess for that kind of writing style. Following that up is a perfect example of why the ska/reggae songs don’t match the flow and don’t match the intensity brought by the rest of the record.

“Pandemic Solution” begins with a few hard-hitting riffs and clean chord progressions, before slowing to just above a complete halt. The stagnated lyrical delivery does not do the singer justice, and due to the rest of the band holding back as well, the only parts of the song that carry any sort of enthusiasm are the sporadic speedings-up of the guitar and vocals to return to the style originally being played.

This is a very solid, albeit somewhat scatterbrained effort from a band that when trying, can really bring it. With plenty of talent to go around, and a voracious musical appetite, all that’s needed from this four-piece is to “trim a bit of fat” around the edges, because they could be quite the band to look out for.



People who liked this also liked:
Operation Ivy - Operation IvyChoking Victim - No Gods / No ManagersLeftover Crack - Mediocre GenericaDesolation - Rest in Panic [7-inch]AFI - Shut Your Mouth and Open Your EyesAFI - Black Sails In The SunsetMouth Sewn Shut - Doomed Future TodayA Wilhelm Scream - RuinerAFI - The Art Of DrowningStar Fucking Hipsters - Until We're Dead

Please login or register to post comments.
What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
  • Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
  • Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
  • Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
  • Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.
    xbat-mitex (March 23, 2010)

    Get The Gun was originally a Toxic Narcotic song

    RichieDaggersCrime (December 7, 2007)

    I'm thinking the "Get the gun - shoot shoot shoot" lyric has to do with the Ozzy Osbourne court case where he was accused of embedding subliminal, backwards messages into his music, specifically the song "Suicide Solution". When played backwards, it was supposed to sound like "Get the gun.. shoot shoot shoot", even though it really sounds like "blafkkfd;lsd;l;lf backwards stuff"

    MonkeyFracas (December 7, 2006)

    I saw these guys in Buffalo a few months back, and for whatever reason, it was a great set. I picked up the CD and wasn't blown away, but it's a decent release. I like the closer "Finally Came Down to Bombs."

    passionisafashion (December 6, 2006)

    I've never heard this band, but this review was really well-written. I liked it.

    Anonymous (December 6, 2006)

    I think it only has like 3/4 members from TN, or something. It's like what Citizen Fish were/are to the Subhumans
    -feeeding5000

    Ianw (December 5, 2006)

    What is the difference between this band and Toxic Narcotic? I have heard that theese guys have more reggea and trad-ska in them, but TN did not exactly lack in that department either.

    skankin_in_the_pit (December 5, 2006)

    This isn't as good as any of the Toxic Narcotic releases, but most stuff isn't. I dig it.

    These dudes need to play Vegas. TN were awesome live, and they canceled on us a couple times.

    Features

    Exclusive Streams

    Newest Reviews

    Punknews.org Team

    Managing Editor

    Adam White

    News Editors

    Kira Wisniewski
    Brittany Strummer
    Andrew Waterfield
    Katy Hardy
    Matthew Baldwin
    Armando Olivas
    John Flynn

    Video Editor

    Chris Moran

    Social Media Editor

    Justin August

    Copy Editor

    Amelia Cline

    Reviews Editor

    Joe Pelone

    Interviews Editor

    Richard Verducci

    Publisher

    Aubin Paul

    ISSN 1710-5366



    © Copyright 1999-2012 Punknews.org



    Other Places to Go

    Punknews.org Flickr Pool