Sewn Mouth Secrets
Encyclopedia
Sewn Mouth Secrets is the second full-length album from Louisiana
-based heavy metal
band Soilent Green
. It was released on September 22, 1998.
's first full-length album to be released on Relapse Records
; they had already worked with the label for their previous EP
A String of Lies. It was recorded in 1998, the 22 May through the 1 June; it was produced by Keith Falgout and Soilent Green. It was mixed during the 20th and 21 June of the same year at Festival Studios by Keith Falgout and the band. It was mastered by Dave Shirk at Sonorous Mastering, Inc., in Tempe
, Arizona
. The album was finally released on September 22, 1998. Scott Hull
remastered
the album at Visceral Sound for a compilation with the EP A String of Lies which was released on October 11, 2005.
The album was generally well received. It was given a 4.5 out of 5 by William York from Allmusic, who called it "the band's strongest effort to date." It made Rolling Stone
call Soilent Green one of the "ten most important hard and heavy bands right now" and was 18th on Terrorizers top albums of 1998.
's mixture of grindcore
and sludge metal
. According to William York from Allmusic, "each song is a nonstop sequence of constantly morphing riffs and assaultive, split-personality vocals, leaving listeners little chance to catch their breaths." Throughout, frontman Ben Falgoust alternates between black metal
screams, a hardcore
-derived, semi-barking voice; spoken word passages and death growl
s. According to York, "his varied vocals, together with his sadistic lyrics, make for a frightening and intense presence." During the album the band uses Southern-flavored
rock grooves, blast beat
s, moments very complex musically and Black Sabbath
-inspired riffs. There are a few quiet moments, like the intros on "Build Fear" and "Her Unsober Ways."
Although not credited, Phil Anselmo
provided backing vocals on the album. He is given thanks in the liner notes
.
The cover of the album is based on a picture by Alfons Mucha
.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
-based heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Soilent Green
Soilent Green
Soilent Green is a grindcore and sludge metal band that hails from Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans.-Overview:Soilent Green was founded in 1988. Their début album wasn't released until 1995, when Pussysoul came out on Dwell Records...
. It was released on September 22, 1998.
History
Sewn Mouth Secrets was Soilent GreenSoilent Green
Soilent Green is a grindcore and sludge metal band that hails from Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans.-Overview:Soilent Green was founded in 1988. Their début album wasn't released until 1995, when Pussysoul came out on Dwell Records...
's first full-length album to be released on Relapse Records
Relapse Records
Relapse Records is an independent record label based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Matthew F. Jacobson in 1990.-History:The label was started by Matthew F. Jacobson in August, 1990 in his parents' basement in Aurora, Colorado...
; they had already worked with the label for their previous EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
A String of Lies. It was recorded in 1998, the 22 May through the 1 June; it was produced by Keith Falgout and Soilent Green. It was mixed during the 20th and 21 June of the same year at Festival Studios by Keith Falgout and the band. It was mastered by Dave Shirk at Sonorous Mastering, Inc., in Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. The album was finally released on September 22, 1998. Scott Hull
Scott Hull
Scott Hull is an American heavy metal musician, and the current guitarist and producer for Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, and Japanese Torture Comedy Hour. He has been part of many other projects including the controversial band Anal Cunt . Aside from his music works, he currently works as a...
remastered
Audio mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
the album at Visceral Sound for a compilation with the EP A String of Lies which was released on October 11, 2005.
The album was generally well received. It was given a 4.5 out of 5 by William York from Allmusic, who called it "the band's strongest effort to date." It made Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
call Soilent Green one of the "ten most important hard and heavy bands right now" and was 18th on Terrorizers top albums of 1998.
Music and artwork
The record features Soilent GreenSoilent Green
Soilent Green is a grindcore and sludge metal band that hails from Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans.-Overview:Soilent Green was founded in 1988. Their début album wasn't released until 1995, when Pussysoul came out on Dwell Records...
's mixture of grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
and sludge metal
Sludge metal
Sludge metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that melds elements of doom metal and hardcore punk, and sometimes incorporates influences from southern rock, stoner rock and grunge. Sludge metal is typically abrasive; often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted instruments and sharply contrasting...
. According to William York from Allmusic, "each song is a nonstop sequence of constantly morphing riffs and assaultive, split-personality vocals, leaving listeners little chance to catch their breaths." Throughout, frontman Ben Falgoust alternates between black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
screams, a hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
-derived, semi-barking voice; spoken word passages and death growl
Death growl
A death growl, also known as death metal vocals, guttural vocals, death grunts, and harsh vocals among other names, is a vocalisation style usually employed by vocalists of the death metal and black metal music genre, but also used in a variety of heavy metal and hardcore punk subgenres.Death...
s. According to York, "his varied vocals, together with his sadistic lyrics, make for a frightening and intense presence." During the album the band uses Southern-flavored
Southern rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...
rock grooves, blast beat
Blast beat
A blast beat is a drum beat often associated with extreme metal and grindcore, although its usage predates the genres, and is utilised by many different styles of metal...
s, moments very complex musically and Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
-inspired riffs. There are a few quiet moments, like the intros on "Build Fear" and "Her Unsober Ways."
Although not credited, Phil Anselmo
Phil Anselmo
Philip Hansen "Phil" Anselmo is an American musician who is best known as the lead singer for the heavy metal band Pantera. He is currently the frontman for the Louisiana-based metal act Down. He is also the owner of Housecore Records....
provided backing vocals on the album. He is given thanks in the liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
.
The cover of the album is based on a picture by Alfons Mucha
Alfons Mucha
Alfons Maria Mucha , known in English as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist, known best for his distinct style. He produced many paintings, illustrations, advertisements, postcards, and designs.-Early years:...
.
Track listing
All songs by Soilent GreenSoilent Green
Soilent Green is a grindcore and sludge metal band that hails from Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans.-Overview:Soilent Green was founded in 1988. Their début album wasn't released until 1995, when Pussysoul came out on Dwell Records...
- "It Was Just an Accident" - 4:12
- "So Hatred" - 3:48
- "Build Fear" - 2:48
- "Looking Through Nails" - 3:03
- "Breed in Weakness" - 4:13
- "Cold-Steel Kiss" - 3:37
- "Openless" - 0:26
- "Her Unsober Ways" - 4:03
- "Sewn Mouth Secrets" - 5:24
- "Walk a Year in My Mind" - 5:10
- "Gagged Whore" - 4:23
- "Emptiness Found" - 3:42
- "Sticks and Stones" - 0:53
Personnel
- Louis Benjamin Falgoust II – Vocals
- Donovan Punch – GuitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- Brian Patton – Guitar
- Tommy Buckley – DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Scott WilliamsScott Williams (musician)Scott Williams was an American musician, and the bassist for sludge metal band Soilent Green.-Death:On April 26, 2004, he and his roommate were found dead in their apartment in Gretna, Louisiana in what was a result of an apparent murder-suicide. Williams was fatally shot in the head by roommate...
– BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Phil AnselmoPhil AnselmoPhilip Hansen "Phil" Anselmo is an American musician who is best known as the lead singer for the heavy metal band Pantera. He is currently the frontman for the Louisiana-based metal act Down. He is also the owner of Housecore Records....
– Vocals (uncredited) - Keith Falgout – ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, mixerAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Dave Shirk – MasteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...