“This record means something different for each of us, but for my part, I wanted to take a more intimate approach when writing than I did with prior releases,” says Filth Is Eternal vocalist, Lisa Mungo. “Each song, a nightmare, or an episodic memory. In its entirety, a profound global traumatic state.”
Love Is A Lie, Filth Is Eternal is the second album by the Seattle band formerly known as Fucked And Bound. The band changed their name to Filth Is Eternal in early 2021, a metamorphosis that has led the group to this new record.
“Everything has changed,” Mungo continues. “The world, our own lives, the lives of everyone around us. I nearly lost both of my parents this past year to COVID. Others in the band suffered great loss leading up to the world shutting down. You could say we’ve had a lot of time to reflect and reset. Time means something different now than it did before. This has certainly affected us as people and as creatives, and perhaps changed the way we approach everything. As for how we shape in the minds of others, well, we’ve always enjoyed letting them decide.”
Love Is A Lie, Filth Is Eternal is a continuation along the path first laid by the band on their first album, Suffrage.
“Filth Is Eternal was built on the foundation of our earlier project with added members,” Mungo explains. “We went back and forth on whether we should just start a new project or change our moniker. We knew we wanted to create some pull-through with Suffrage, given that themes of depression, existentialism, subjugation, nihilism and more continued with this release, and our current body of work. In the end, we decided to keep the momentum going and just change the name.”
The strange and painful time spent apart during the pandemic influenced the band to take action in the present, releasing this album in the new year being just one example.
“This world has always been equal parts beautiful and terrifying,” Mungo says. “On the other hand, there’s a lot of love and selflessness, too. Entire communities stepping up to help people and spaces survive. Outreach programs making their way to those most in need. Some of my closest friends are caretakers, you know, watching them bring by supplies in between shifts and educating as many people in real time as they could was just a beautiful thing to observe. This collective experience has left its imprint on us all.”
That strong sense of community has always been a big part of Filth Is Eternal. They have spent the last few years playing punk venues, DIY spaces, hosting their own sort of hardcore communal exorcisms.
“Most of my experience in underground music has been my involvement with underground all ages venues,” Mungo explains. “What I love about underground music and its community is that it’s always trying to improve itself by doing more. I spent a decade as a collective member of a space here in Seattle and I woke up many mornings to our friends putting together kits for the unhoused or organizing workshops. DIY as a culture of community-minded musicians can do a lot to build friendships around bands, fans, and friends, but it can also interact with the community in a real and direct way. Several of our collective members came from local youth organizations. We hosted friends during protests last year. We’ve been lucky to be a part of a community like this for as long as we have.”
Love Is A Lie, Filth Is Eternal translates the concerns and desires of the underground music scene through the music and words of a band that is not afraid to scream about what’s wrong in the world.
“I feel grateful,” Mungo continues. “It’s that simple. Grateful to have an opportunity to reach out and converse with others that, without this platform, may not be possible.”
Watch the video for “On the Rake” here:
For more from Filth Is Eternal, find them on their official website.
