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8 out of 10
I have a sneaking suspicion that this review will be ultimately pointless, since most people will have made their mind up about this album already. I'm not talking about the fact that the entire album was previewed on their MySpace, but the slightly more well-documented matter of LeATHERMØUTH's frontman. So I'd like you to try to forget about his day job in 'that band' for a moment. I know this might be a problem, since every article and interview has been centred on that fact (and I'm trying to buck the trend by not actually typing those immensely Google-tastic words), and almost every photo has only had his face unmasked. I say almost since I saw ONE photo that had (the band's other mainman) Rob Hughes' face visible, but I later saw the same photo once it had been photoshopped to give him the same bunny-mask as the rest of the band. But anyway, I'd still like you to try and forget it all, because it has no bearing on this album whatsoever. This is an entirely different beast.
And I think beast is an appropriate metaphor, since there's definitely something feral about XO. With most tracks less than 2:30, and the longest just a second shy of three minutes long, there's no room for gushing emotional ballads. Instead it's solid, furious hardcore, with the occasional dash of rock'n'roll thrown in, as is the standard these days. Most of the vocals are unintelligible screams, but a read through the lyric sheet shows we're hardly missing out on Wildean genius. The vibe is definitely there though, and it still makes you want to scream along, even if it just as a primal release. It's doubtful that this will convert any scenesters away from Fall Out Boy and Aiden towards Black Flag and American Nightmare, but we can live in hope.
But like I said, you've probably already decided whether you want this album or not. If you did it without actually listening to the music, then more fool you.
Listen: www.myspace.com/leathermouthlives
Tracklist:
1. 5th Period Massacre
2. Catch Me If You Can
3. This Song Is About Being Attacked By Monsters
4. I Am Going To Kill The President Of The United States Of America
5. Murder Was The Case That They Gave Me
6. Sunsets Are For Muggings
7. My Lovenote Has Gone Flat
8. Your Friends Are Full Of Shit
9. Bodysnatchers 4 Ever
10. Leviathan
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