Mouth of The South Struggle Well

For The Fan Presents:

Mouth of The South “Struggle Well” (2014) Review

Facedown Records has been making some serious moves lately. They put out a ton of records in the past decade, and for those that have grown up with the hardcore scene in the 909 area code of Southern California, you know very well what they are all about. The label is one of the tried and true staples of hardcore and metal-core and release after release they have been pushing forward no matter what. I’m impressed with their longevity, and their latest string of releases are incredible, including the latest release from Mouth of The South.



“Struggle Well” encapsulates everything that you expect from a metal-core release. It has incredible hooks, break downs, and vocals that are not only loud and in your face, but they are sending a message to the masses. This is hardcore ethos the way it should be done, a powerful message sent through heavy guitars, and incredible riffing. The band has a metal-core vibe, but they have a sensibility that is definitely fitting within the world of hardcore quite well. Not quite Earth Crisis but not necessarily Unearth either. They are a good band that holds elements of all major hardcore categories, with the exception of “thrash”. You can hear the complexity of their sound on “Running Scared”, which is a prime example of how good the band really is.

The Band goes through 10 tracks of relentless metal and hardcore sounds and lyrics that are either going to get ignored or offend. They are a Christian band, and if you didn’t realize that, you’re not paying attention to the Facedown Records line up. That being said, this is one of the best releases that I’ve heard come out from Facedown in a while, and it’s by far the best heavy record to come out of the Christian scene. Solid State Records used to be the frontrunner for hard music in this genre, but they have gone soft in comparison to what Facedown is pumping out. Here’s a prime example of just how good the label has become.

Stand out tracks on this record include “Running Scared”, “Dry Bones”, “Good Intentions”, “Idle Hands”, “Endless Cycle”, but as a whole, the 37 minutes of brutality that you get with this disc will pummel your senses, and reinvent what you believe about hardcore and metal music today. It’s not highly technical at times, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t moments where you think that you’re listening to a veteran act on Victory Records. This is heavy, it’s relevant, it’s going to punch your brain with metal-core fusion.

Pros: Incredible production, heavy music, breakdowns that hurt your back, your mom is going to hate you for this record

Cons: Some may not light the Christian angle

Buy/Download: Mp3 / CD