Two years after a cancer diagnosis, Mark Whelan and his band Fuming Mouth triumphantly return on “Last Day of Sun”

Fuming Mouth’s latest album Last Day of Sun has an intensely personal meaning behind the title.  Not only an album that almost never saw the light of day, this record depicts its subject matter of mortality and resilience with a real-life urgency.  In November 2021, the Massachusetts band’s vocalist and guitarist, Mark Whelan, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia just weeks away from when he was set to track vocals in the studio.   His treatment required rounds of chemotherapy, as well a bone marrow transplant.  During these months, Whelan continued to work on the album, recording demo vocals to tracks like “Kill the Disease” and “Respect and Blasphemy”.  In August 2022, Whelan announced he was officially cancer free.

Throughout Last Day of Sun, Fuming Mouth’s hardcore-influenced death metal is sinister and punishingly heavy.  Yet rays of sunlight break through the chaos.   Mark Whelan’s recovery lends a sense of triumph amidst suffering, which permeates the album.  While originally written as a concept album about a city on the brink of impending doom, this new meaning surfaced within the songwriting.

Whelan described “I’ll Find You”, released as a single in October, as the band’s first love song.  “It’s about overcoming all the obstacles between you and the person you love. No matter how tired you are. No matter how lost they get.”  On “The Silence Beyond Life”, he proclaims:“I should have died” on a triumphant chorus.  Musically, the tempo varies from the fast-paced and frantic “I’ll Find You” to the brooding “Leaving Euphoria” and the title track.   If you’re a fan of dark, metallic hardcore or death metal, you should definitely give this record a listen.

Sadly former member Cayle Sain, who played drums on the first Fuming Mouth album, The Grand Descent, passed away on December 10, 2023.  He was also known for his work playing for Twitching Tongues and industrial rapper Ghostemane. Fuming Mouth posted this tribute to him on their Instagram page:

The greatest drummer to ever play in Fuming Mouth.  Rest in peace Cayle Sain.  You were a brilliant artist and a better friend.  Your smile alone was enough to remind everyone that everything was going to be ok.  We love you.

Fuming Mouth will tour the U.K. in January 2024.  It’s safe to say that the fire-breathing chimera on their tour poster is a fitting representation of their relentless and fierce music.  English death metal band Celestial Sanctuary will be joining Fuming Mouth for these shows.