From the Lions Mouth should be heralded as one of the most important albums of the 80’s. Unfortunately, The Sound never achieved a cult status on the level of Joy Division, and were therefore confined to obscurity. Few albums I would ever refer to as “perfect”, but this one makes the cut. When talking about my favorite albums, I mention this one alongside Joy Division’s “Closer” without skipping a beat. However, unlike “Closer”, which sounds as if it is written by a man who is spirtually bankrupt, this album shows Adrian Borland, the singer/guitarist and primary songwriter, as a troubled man with hope. The result is an album that, while dark, is also subtly uplifting. He explores the darker side of humanity while simultaneously enciting us to use our arms and our brains to find our own sense of purpose, and warns us of the new dark age impending if we don’t. This album is lyrically and musically ahead of its time, and easily one of the best albums of the post-punk era. Get this lost classic while you still can. —Erik
