Band: LeATHERMOUTH
Album: XO
Genre: Hardcore/Punk
Label: Epitaph

Tracks:
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. Leviathon

My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero has taken a giant leap from the world of The Black Parade and instead opted to adopt a sound more often found in Basements across America. LeATHERMOUTH, Iero’s side project, is a combustable punk/hardcore hybrid that is set to release their ferocious debut, XO, via Epitaph Records on January 27th. Never in the past 5 years have I encountered a record that grabs one by the throat like this record does and it wastes no time doing so either.

XO, as I have previously hinted at, kicks things off in high gear with, “5th Period Massacre.” If this track doesn’t strike a solid chord wit you right away, there are troubled waters ahead, but it totally overcame me on the first listen [and the sequential as well]. Iero screams resonate in a way that lets you know it comes straight from his heart and is left all in the booth. It’s near grindcore in terms of the vocals and everything else is like a cascading waterfall of sound and destruction. Each sequential track follows this method of just loosing the demons and thoughts Iero has had built up to a soundtrack of utter madness that never let’s you go. “Catch Me If You Can,” talks about outsmarting the cops and terrorizing the city while dealing with presumably a break up. “I Am Going To Kill The President Of The United States Of America,” the most ferocious of the entire album, is filled with chugs and riffs that would find themselves welcome on any record, but here they simply play scenery for the show that is Iero.

Lyrically, one might think that Iero has either lost his mind or his happy pills. Countless times it has been said that this record is a way for the band to loose demons and vent and it shows. “Sunsets Are For Muggings,” rants about the falsehood of modern psychiatry and it does so with such gusto that it convinces you there’s no other opinion to have. Seriously, I have nothing against psychiatrists, but after this, I was completely ready to throw down with Iero and gang. Other tracks cover everything from girls [of course], to politics, and more. The is anger here and it is oh, oh, oh so pleasing to the ears. They say one man’s tragedy is another’s victory and it applies here quite well.

Overall, XO is a tornado of sound mixed rough, yet perfectly. It sounds very D.I.Y., but yet it could appeal to any teen or person with pent up rage. To me, it’s not about genre, it’s about talent, and LeATHERMOUTH have more than enough of it to go around. This album IS NOT for everyone, in fact, the majority will probably turned off, but for those who get it, prepare to be amazed.

*Written By: James Shotwell*
Grade: 8.5/10

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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