245 fans
Catharsis builds community. As if conducting group scream therapy, Mouth For War incite a collective release of emotion set to a soundtrack of metal intensity, pit-splitting hardcore spirit, and earth-rumbling grooves. The Colorado quintet—Trae Roberts [vocals], Mason Sego [drums], Gabe Moya [guitar], Jonah Starbuck [guitar], and Michael Guglielmi [bass]—rally listeners together around unflinchingly honest and uncontainable bursts of aggression and emotion. After earning praise from Outburn, No Echo, and many more, they hold nothing back on their second full-length LP and debut album for MNRK Heavy, Bleed Yourself.
“Music is a way for me to communicate everything I’ve gone through,” says Trae. “Of course, we’re able to get up on stage, be crazy, and have a good time. Mouth For War also made me grow as a person. I’m using it to let out emotions—and encourage you to do the same.”
During 2019, Mouth For War united members of underground favorites Bruise, Remain, and Sustain. Following the An Ear Kept to the Ground EP, the group unleashed Life Cast In Glass in 2021. Earning widespread acclaim, MetalSucks raved, “This Colorado quintet plays pure, untainted metallic hardcore that has all the subtlety of a nuclear bomb. It’s like Hatebreed wrote a song for Xibalba or pre-Underneath Code Orange.” Along the way, they carefully struck an elusive balance of modern and classic heavy music, nodding to Lamb of God, The Devil Wears Prada, and Meshuggah as well as Pantera (hence their band name) and Metallica.
In early 2023, the band decamped to Chicago, IL to record with producer Pete Grossmann at BrickTop Recording. Ultimately, the setting and circumstances enabled the musicians to hyper focus.
“It was the first time we left home and stayed together somewhere,” Trae goes on. “The weather was insane in Chicago, so we didn’t really leave the studio. However, we were able to get more in tune with each other, have fun, and make memories around this record. We built a unified piece together.”
They introduce this barrage with “Under The Gun.” Trae’s guttural vocals growl just as deeply as the distortion while an airtight melodic riff cuts through pummeling drums only to recoil into a chugging stomp.
“It comes at you like crazy,” Trae says. “The goal was for every measure and breakdown to smack you in the face. We thought it was the perfect track to introduce the new Mouth For War. It’s about feeling like someone you lost is holding you down. You can’t properly grieve and move past what’s happening. It’s like you’re put under the gun. You don’t want to lose those memories, but you want the pressure to stop.”
Then, there’s “Saturate Me.” The song hinges on ominous warbling of a country-style prayer until the momentum blasphemously turns on a dime with blast of bludgeoning percussion and incendiary riffing. Uplifted by an unexpected fit of melody, its unpredictability proves undeniable.
“It’s one of the most emotional songs on this body of work,” he reveals. “You feel like you’re relentlessly being dragged down and can’t go out of this hole. It has a similar meaning to ‘Under The Gun’, but the rhythm builds differently.”
The opener “Roses In The Place of Your Ashes” kicks open the door with the force of a battering ram, setting the tone for the onslaught to follow. “It’s in your face, and it just sounds vicious,” smiles Trae. “It comes at you nonstop.” The beating concludes on the title track “Bleed Yourself.” The guys unlock one final exorcism anchored by guillotine-sharp guitars and gut-punching roars.
“To me, it’s literally about bleeding your emotions and trying to let everything out all at once,” he continues. “That’s essentially what I did on this record—from the first song to the last. I touched on subjects I thought I was done with. It almost hurt again, but I bled myself out as much as possible.”
In the end, Mouth For War will give you the space to scream with them.
“I hope you hear the album, and it helps you if you need it,” he leaves off. “We’re pissed off, and you can tell. However, it’s positive to let all of this out.”
