Review Summary: There is a vast difference between bands who write songs from boredom or for fun or money or fame, and bands who write with conviction and passion as if their lives were at stake.
Mouth of the South is:
Vocals- Josiah Lyle
Guitar- Tanner Allen
Guitar- Mike Butler
Bass- Colton Bartholet
Drums- Kane Taliaferro
To judge this book by its cover is to say “Oh boy another unoriginal Christian metal band, with preachy lyrics and cliché breakdowns.” But if you were willing to give Mouth of the South’s Transparency an honest listen, you’d be able to see miles past that limited horizon. Because what you get on your plate with Mouth of the South's Transparency is something rarely offered at the Christian Hardcore buffet: true authenticity. You hear the rumbles of detuned guitars, the voice cracks of a passionate vocalist, the vulnerable lyrics similar to what you’d find in a confession booth, and the sound of a band that comes to the table with the heavenly absence of electronic-breakdowns or overly-produced instrumentation.
Don’t get me wrong, this band has a mission, and their lyrics intend to preach, but the delivery is so human that it doesn’t come with entitlement, or haughtiness, but is presented in such a way which sinners like you and me can relate. Vocalist Josiah Lyle screams out his heart and soul at levels that go much deeper than most other “Christian” lyricists. When’s the last time you heard a Christian singer say something like: “I am a Pharisee by definition / Far too proud to admit when I’m wrong / I am a plague to my own existence / I’m killing myself with this repetitious sin / I am a hypocrite / Wash me clean, I am so desperate to be free”? Transparency is truly a perfect title for such an album. This is both a prayer journal and a diary screaming out loud, complemented with catchy southern grooves that really reciprocate the aggression and passion of the lyrics.
Perfectly placed right in the heart of the album are the two songs that together emulate the message of this album and the musical craftiness of MOTS: “Monologue” and “Part 2”. The former is full of dynamic shifts, instrumental dropouts, staccato breakdowns, bass groove solos, and lyrics that make it the absolute highlight of the album. Lyle preaches honesty and humility; this is his monologue: "What if I said I don't believe in you? / Would we at least be making progress? / You said "luke-warm" and you would spit me out. / Well I tried to be on fire, but these waves have snuffed me out. / I'm washed up on this stage screaming at the heavens up above me. I'm weak but unashamed cause I've got nothing left to lose. / If this is what it takes to be alive then I'll scream until my heart is beating. / I'm afraid to die cause I know I'm so far away from you".
“Monologue” flows seamlessly right into “Part 2”, one of the most upbeat and punk-influenced tunes on the record, with fiery drum beats and distorted dual guitars that combine ambient melodies with heavy riffs. Lyrically, this track flows beautifully out of "Monologue" with a call-response concept; “Monologue” illustrates the man crying out to God, and “Part 2” paints the portrait of God’s response back: "Where have I been? / I’ve been by your side before you were birthed into this life. / I’ve been right here, with open ears … Run to me with your broken legs / I’ll take your mangled bones and teach you how to stand. / I look back, I look back on all the things you say, and it breaks my heart. / But don’t forget, don’t forget your pain was nailed to me / lay your burdens down at the foot of the cross". The God that is portrayed in this song is so relentless and tenacious that listening to the words of this song brought me to tears and made me want to scream my own monologue. The passion that is shared in Transparency is so genuine, vulnerable, and relatable – this is music that you feel, this is music that brings to life the unspoken questions, doubts, desires that we all repress inside our souls.
There is a vast difference between bands who write songs from boredom or for fun or money or fame, and bands who write with conviction and passion as if their lives were at stake. As it is said in “Uprooted”, “I'm chasing my dreams. I am living. / I follow my convictions. This is my passion. / 9-5 never cut it for me, / this is life and I intend on living”. Mouth of the South bleed their music, and that is what can be felt on this album. Hopefully this is only the first of many inspiring and authentic records for MOTS.
Recommended Tracks:
Monologue
Part 2
Uprooted
Epilogue
