|
Fans of this Midwestern quartet know the notions of ferocity
and boldness that are associated with the band Mudvayne, and also their odd
mixture of concept and musical styling.
Without the aid of the infamous Slipknot clown #6 (Shawn Crahan)
Mudvayne would probably never be where they are today. Producing a finely extracted album such as The
End of All Things to Come after their breakthrough CD, L.D 50 has elevated
their status in the metal community, to an extent. With a much more organized
sound, and a polished image, Mudvayne's newest release is a culmination of their
past three efforts at stardom.
Beginning their career with their first major release L.D
50, the members of Mudvayne were thought as just another band of the new metal
wave. Unfortunately they were caught up in the tumult behind bands like
Linkin
Park and Disturbed. It didn’t help
that they catered their first major release to the New Metal crowd. Songs like
“Dig” and “Death Blooms” were anthems to a stage of music history when people
were fed up with everything. On the other hand, they were well crafted works of
art. Listeners wanted something hard,
loud, and something that they could relate to, and they found it in New Metal.
Mudvayne did a fairly good job at generating a fan base, but what really set
them apart was the face paint and their concept.
Mudvayne has a very interesting theme behind their names and
music. Although they wore face paint they still were grouped together with,
Slipknot and Mushroomhead. For their latest album, they no longer wear face
paint, but bulging prosthetic alien lenses over their eyes. Chüd is the name of the vocalist, Güüg
shreds the axe, Spüg is armed with two sticks and a kit, and Rü-D mans the
bass. Not only are their names strange but they consider their music style
“math metal.” Mudvayne toys with the concept of self consciousness and self
actualization. L.D 50’s presentation had that of a sterile lab environment.
Songs had references to chemicals, molecular composition, and even Stanley
Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. However that was L.D 50; this is The End of
All Things to Come. This latest release is heavier, faster, and much more
organized.
Still grappling with the mountains of self consciousness
idea, Mudvayne has evolved since their last release. They have developed a
sturdier wall of sound this time and, boy what a wall it is. Unlike the L.D 50
album the distorted guitars and rumbling vocals from Chüd carry through the
entire recording. Aside from shouting his messages, he can also sing; and does
a good job at it. The End of All Things to Come combines screaming and singing
very well. Instead of having the first few tracks hard hitting and assaulting,
and the latter mellow and calmer, it is hard and delicate all the way through.
The first track, “Silenced” is a message to those who smother people opinions
and disrupt freedom of speech. Not only
are the lyrics evocative and poignant the music is catchy as well.
Silenced:
Sticker this, censor this, ban this,
We’ve got something to say
Police this, condemn this, damn this
We’ll be heard anyway
Middle finger is the flag that I wave when I’m
Silenced. . .This is one of the best songs on the CD and
reflects some of the images that this CD represents. The
lyrical content on The End of All Things to Come deserves more
than just a once over. The notion of realizing oneself and
ones surroundings is one of the biggest obstacles to conquer
in a lifetime. To reach a state of perpetual realization of
all things is nigh impossible; at least for humanity. Mudvayne
seems to enjoy analyzing this idea and their version of it.
Luckily it comes across very well onto their latest release.
Another example of these ideas is in the song Shadow of a Man:
Shadow of a Man:
Mirror mirror on the wall I’m asking you,
Who is the most confused of them all?
Mirror mirror subservient twin screams back
At me “you”"
You sick flawless mime, I wasn’t to break you
Yeah, you’re a clever one. . .
Do you reflect me or do I reflect you, are you
inside of another world. . .
The aspect of the music that I enjoy the most is the beat.
On L.D 50 Mudvayne used similar rhythms but it was much choppier. This time,
Mudvayne has mastered their sound to create heavy, meaty bass notes with deep
beats. With the mixture of Rü-D’s bass, Güüg’s distorted low notes and the
strange time signatures; Mudvayne creates catchy heavy riffs that would make
any fan of metal proud. The End of All Things to Come is no longer a New Metal
CD from Mudvayne. They have forged their own path in a land where music is
often straightforward and unchanging.
I give Mudvayne’s The End of All Things to Come release 4
planets. It has excellent music, and a good hearty scream. The albums’ snarling
is pleasantly countered by Chüd’s smooth style. Everything flows together with
a nice coating of though provoking lyrics to make you question your reality.
That is if you are into music that much. Over all I enjoyed the album, but it
is most definitely an acquired taste. If you are no fan of hard music don’t
bother. There are plenty of bands that aren’t as heavy, and there are plenty of
bands that are heavier. This is just a warning to be careful, not all music is
for everyone. If you liked L.D 50 you will enjoy The End of All Things to Come.
Track Listing:
01. Silenced
02. Trapped In The Wake Of A Dream
03. Not Falling
04. (Per)Version Of A truth
05. Mercy, Severity
06. World So Cold
07. the patient mental
08. Skrying
09. Solve Et Coagula
10. Shadow Of A Man
11. 12:97:24:99
12. The End Of All Things To Come
13. A Key To Nothing Album
Jameson Rating:
4 out of 5 Planets
Talk about
The End Of All Things To Come >>
|
Game News
