There are many forms of brutality. In the music world it is a word that has many meanings. It could mean an album that is as terrible as can be imagined. It can also mean a disc that melts your face with its intensity. War From A Harlot's Mouth adds another dimension to the word with their release MMX as they pummel you from so many different angles that you will feel as if you have been on the receiving end of a Rodney King type beating. Not a band that fits into any one category, WFAHM bring it to you with a mixture of metalcore, deathcore and any kind of core that you want to mention. Along with that they bring in other influences such as some amazing jazz interludes that make me think of the movie Marathon Man. These brief moments are like the application of Oil of Clove to the cavity in Dustin Hoffman's mouth to relive the pain before digging the dentist pick into the exposed nerves in his mouth. The combination is a fascinating blend that will alternately soothe and rub raw every nerve in your body.
Opening with the aptly titled "Insomnia" the band takes no time to start their brutal assault using the death metal weapon to its brutal perfection. Any thoughts of sleep fall by the wayside as vocalist Nico screams, growls and otherwise fuels this vicious beatdown.
Get use to the ferociousness as it is the norm for a good part of the album. Still they do take a few excursions down different paths like the jazzy brief instrumental "Sleep Is The Brother Of Death". Take a deep breath with during the respite as they are few and far between. I think that they are at their best when mixing their influences and giving us this different approach to the world of hardcore. Another brief example is the tune "Sugarcoat" which is an instrumental interlude that is pure jazz leading into the face melting "Spineless".
It is good to hear something different in a genre that seems to be filled with bands that are all trying to sound the same. Not only do they take you on a unique trip they make it a very worthwhile excursion along the way. This is not to say that there isn't room for improvement. The album at times has a disjointed feel as it they were hurrying to get it done. A little more time on the next release should fix that and if they do this is a group that will make some noise, literally!
Track listing:
1. Insomnia
2. To Age And Obsolete
3. The Increased Sensation Of Dullness
4. Sleep Is The Brother Of Death
5. The Polyglutamine Pact
6. Cancer Man
7. C.G.B. Spender
8. Sugarcoat
9. Spineless
10. Recluse MMX
11. Inferno III/IV
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