Swollen Members

It's been a hard run for Mad Child, whose road back from the depths of an oxycontin addiction was well documented on the DVD portion of the Swollen Members' last album, their career retrospective, Ten Years of Turmoil. It is obvious that his love for his group and their music is directly tied to his recovery, but Dagger Mouth is no celebration; it is a balance between Mad Child's pain and his bravado, which is either newfound or re-discovered. It is evident from the outset of "Do or Die," where he states, "There is something wrong with me, I'm deeply wounded," to tracks like "War Money," where he says he is a "Bluenose, green-eyed, thoroughbred, purebred, double threat, split personality." The dark lyrics are driven home by Rob the Viking, whose cryptic production gives Dagger Mouth a foreboding presence. The most poignant line comes on last track "Bring me Down," featuring Saigon, where Mad Child tells the listener, "My mouth is the message, my life is the lesson, my pulse is a blessing."