Mudvayne Mudvayne
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
Like it or hate it, when nu-metal hit the scene in the mid ’90s it made a major impact in the metal community. At first, it was an interesting enough derivation, with its 7-string, detuned, groove-oriented riffing and balance of aggressive and clean vocals. Like all new and interesting things, though, it didn’t take long for labels to catch on and exploit the style’s popularity. Soon they were signing every Korn clone and Linkin Park wannabe, and before you knew it, the airwaves were clogged with second-rate, derivative bands doing their part to make nu metal the new grunge. Of course, there were a few bands that managed to do something just different enough to stand out, and Mudvayne, with their technical, prog-influenced “math metal,” were one of these. Unfortunately, on their most recent, self-titled release, it appears that the band has all but forgotten what made them different, and has instead delivered an album with virtually no identity.
The majority of the tracks on Mudvayne blend together, and very few stand out as memorable. Sure, the shout of “not by the hair of your chiny-chin-chin” in “Closer” is funny enough, if you can get past the fact that it sounds like a bad Green Jellö rip off. The Queen-sounding intro to “Beyond the Pale” is cool, as is the Def Leppard-like riff during the chorus of “All Talk,” but these moments of inspiration are too few and far between to save the album.
One track that does give the hint that “classic” Mudvayne hasn’t gone the way of the mammoth comes just past halfway through the album in the form of “I Can’t Wait.” The title seems apropos, as up until this point every song essentially just tries the listener’s patience as they wait for something better. Here, we are showered with tight time changes and off-tempos, reminding us of what once was. Three minutes later, though, it’s all over and the remainder of the album slips quietly back into monotony. From here on, an earlier track, “Heard It All Before,” becomes a more fitting descriptor for the album.
Perhaps Mudvayne should be given a bit of slack, as most bands want to grow and change, doing what they can to avoid accusations of self-plagiarism. Seriously, how many bands outside of AC/DC and The Ramones can make the same album over and over and still stay credible? Perhaps in this case, though, Mudvayne should have opted to keep the “math” part of their self-described style, and instead incorporate other unique elements to create something more versatile and intriguing.
It would be silly to end a review of Mudvayne without a comment on the gimmicky artwork that accompanied it. For those who haven’t seen or heard about it yet, Mudvayne comes packaged (in a variety of formats and editions) with artwork printed entirely in black-light sensitive ink, and thus at first look the booklet and disc appear to be completely blank. By shining the provided black-light pen on the pages, the text and art by noted tattooist Paul Booth are revealed, and the effect is pretty spectacular. Of course, if the black-light pen happened to arrive broken, the chances of having a way to view the art are slim for most, minus the few who work at Spencer’s or sleep in a bedroom that hasn’t been redecorated since the ’80s. The rest of us are left with nothing more than some blank white paper, strangely illustrative of the music it surrounds.
Label: Epic Records
Web: www.mudvayne.com ; www.myspace.com/mudvayne
Band Lineup:
Chad Gray (vocals)
Greg Tribbett (guitars)
Ryan Martinie (bass)
Matthew McDonough (drums)
Tracks:
1. Beautiful and Strange
2. 1000 Mile Journey
3. Scream With Me
4. Closer
5. Heard It All Before
6. I Can’t Wait
7. Beyond the Pale
8. All Talk
9. Out To Pasture
10. Burn The Bridge
11. Dead Inside
Hardrock Haven rating 3.8/10