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Rating:
They wear masks and criticize Slipknot for copying their idea: these are the first two things I knew about Mushroomhead. For various reasons (lack of time and a bad first impression), it took me a long time to give a more or less decisive judgment on this album, the second chapter from this band after the previous release "XX", which (let's clarify) I do not own. Many might erroneously compare Mushroomhead to Slipknot only because they are part of the same scene and, as mentioned, their faces are covered by colorful masks; the same reasons led to label Mudvayne as "a poor copy of the nine from Des Moines."
So to avoid these inaccuracies, it's better to clarify what kind of band "Mushroomhead" is: they play nu-metal indeed, but not in its most famous interpretation, rather in a darker and gloomier fashion, which deviates from a certain type of livelier and rowdier sound. In short, they are not a copy of Slipknot, nor the new Limp Bizkit, just to be clear; however, with this, I just wanted to describe the type of music they make, and let's clarify immediately, we are not looking at an innovative album that will go down in history, rather a fairly enjoyable album but with, in my opinion, still many (too many) shortcomings.
But let's get into the details of "XIII"... The first thing I noticed about this work is the continuous switch between the voices of the two singers: the "clean" one of Jeffrey Nothing (used for melodic and calm parts) and the "scream" one of J Mann (used for aggressive and rapped parts); a choice I liked a lot and that provides a little more "sparkle" to an album that would otherwise be much flatter. The sounds presented by the album are multiple and include scream-rapped parts, melodic parts, gothic hints, dark parts with keyboard and piano, samples, and lots of electronics. Having all this in play can become a double-edged sword, and it seems that Mush have halfway (and not that well...) accomplished their "mission."
The album's highlight, in my opinion, is "Sun Doesn't Rise," simply stunning; it hit me from the first listen (the rap-scream part is very beautiful), but it will only be an isolated episode. "Eternal" is the most powerful song on the album, at times touching on death metal sounds, another excellent piece, even though the tones lower a bit in the chorus to make room for Jeffrey's melodic voice. The concluding track, "Thirteen", consists of five instrumental minutes accompanied by various background sounds serving as a prelude to the bonus track "Crazy", a cover of Seal's hit; it's the album's most "pop" song, yet it's one of the best tracks on the CD. A note for "The Dream Is Over", featuring a duet between J Mann and Jens Kidman, singer for Meshuggah; the difference between Mann's low and hoarse tone and Kidman's powerful and majestic voice is evident. As already mentioned, there are a handful of good pieces, and the rest of the tracks pale in comparison to those previously cited (at least for me), an example being the initial "Kill Tomorrow", unfulfilling and not quite suitable as an opener, and especially "Destroy The World Around Me", the apotheosis of boredom (and the cause of my frustration): it's irritating to hear eight straight minutes (!!!) of song without even a tempo change, something that would keep the listener a bit on edge. To alternate the harder pieces (like "The War Inside" and the aforementioned "Kill Tomorrow" "Sun Doesn't Rise" "Eternal" and "The Dream Is Over") are the more "calm" and melodic pieces like "Nowhere To Go", the quiet "Almost Gone" and the semi-gothic "One More Day" and "Our Own Way". Among these two categories, certainly, the first one is a bit more successful.
Apart from a few good episodes ("Sun Doesn't Rise" above all), the album floats in mere mediocrity and therefore is insufficient as a whole. The reason: Boredom. Perhaps the enjoyment of this album would have been greater if the band had picked up the pace more, but that was not the case.
We're not there yet, but I believe they have the potential to improve... they just need to use it. I am hopeful for the next album.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Kill Tomorrow (03:44)
Want to
We can if we want to
Lead you from behind you
Time will take it's toll re-evaluate
The leeches and the lepers start to salivate
Truth is impaired cannot moderate
Tension escalates you cannot tolerate
Make you want to fly
Blind is the ambition that will navigate
Default by design the virus infiltrates
Corrupted and coerced the silence penetrates
Echoing the void now disintegrate
If you feel sometimes we're falling
Like we're falling away
I would not blame you
While you flow through my veins
Well we pay the price we pay
Kill tomarrow yesterday
Want to
We can if we want to
Leave it all behind it's time to walk away
A predator has a tendency to stalk their prey
With the dawning of the sun awakes another day
Desires that's required to play another game
Make you want to fly
Blame will point it's finger shed some light on fault
Around these memories we will build our wall
Install instant karma start restoring all
Focus on the rise and ignore the fall
If you feel sometimes we're falling
Like we're falling away
I would not blame you
While you flow through my veins
Well we pay the price we pay
Kill tomarrow yesterday
Want to
We can if we want to
Lead you from behind you
Make you want to fly
Time will take it's toll re-evaluate
The leeches and the lepers start to salivate
Truth is impaired cannot moderate
Tension escalates you cannot tolerate
Make you want to fly
Blind is the ambition that will navigate
Default by design the virus infiltrates
Corrupted and coerced the silence penetrates
Echoing the void now disintegrate
02 Sun Doesn't Rise (03:13)
Some kind of evidence
Some kind of reason
Why I can't find a way
To begin my life
Somewhere in this dying day
If I could only find a way for my escape
I find it hard to concentrate with all my past mistakes
To begin my life
I can't feel my faith
Can't recall my crime
I think I sealed my fate
Along the way I may have lost my mind
I guess we're all damaged in our own way
Involved in our own way
Distant headlights
Desolate highway
I can't feel my faith
Can't recall my crime
I think I sealed my fate
Along the way I may have lost my mind
I guess we're all damaged in our own way
Involved in our own way
Distant headlights
Desolate highway
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
With eyes wide open
Can't recall my crime
I think I sealed my fate
I can watch my world evolve
Involved in our own way
I think I sealed my fate
Nothing left to die for
Can't recall my crime
I think I sealed my fate
Thoughts inside can make me crawl
I think I sealed my fate
Make me drop down on my knees
Break me down until I question me
Darkness can't destroy my drive
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
Sun doesn't rise at all
Welcome my downfall
Sun doesn't rise at all
Somewhere in this dying day
As I plan my great escape
I find it hard to concentrate
While you maintain control
I fold and falter empty altar
All I gave I pray it makes me whole
I think the brinks around the corner
And there's an error in my soul
I can't feel my faith
Can't recall my crime
I think I sealed my fate
Along the way I may have lost my mind
I guess we're all damaged in our own way
Involved in our own way
Distant headlights
Desolate highway
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
I can't feel my faith
Can't recall my crime
Damaged in our own way
Alone in our own way
Desolate highway
03 Mother Machine Gun (04:16)
Can we make progress - Have we learned our lesson
How can we take the test - Without the questions
The mind will play Pontius - The hearts the defendant
The soul is the conscience - You're the next contestant
Some how the greatest point comes without reason
Some how my made up mind acts without thinking right
Interrogate the truth until you hear what you like
Now I can't understand what keeps me going there is no master plan
Nothing to go on to grow on
Believe in - Everything leaves me cold
Too many promises - Not enough evidence of my soul
Interrogate the truth until you hear what you like
Nothing to go to grow on
Not enough evidence
Somehow know where do I begin
Of my soul
Now I can't understand what keeps me going there is no master plan
Nothing to go on to grow on
Believe in - Everything leaves me cold
Too many promises - Not enough evidence of my soul now
Interrogate the truth until you hear what you like
Nothing to go to grow on
Not enough evidence
Somehow know where do I begin
Interrogate the truth until you hear what you like
Nothing to go to grow on believe in
Of my soul
Somehow know where do I begin
It's time to take the stand and defend your innocence
You can slip through the system by exploiting it's arrogance
It's time to take the stand and defend your innocence
You can slip through the system by exploiting it's arrogance
Not enough evidence of my soul
Not enough evidence
Interrogate the truth until you hear what you like
Of my soul
Somehow know where do I begin
Interrogate the truth until you hear what you like
Nothing to go to grow on
Not enough evidence
Of my soul
05 Becoming Cold (216) (04:25)
Never heard my name called never anyone at all
Never in the right at the heart of every fault
Time to write me off
Demand the antidote to rescue this stranded soul
Castaway the last to know that the dream is gone
Everyday life takes it's toll
When are we going home
Becoming cold
How did we get here and what are we alive for
Give me a reason to murder my idols
Save your faith for the faithless we need it most
Need something to believe in but nothing comes close
Hindsight won't let me sleep at night amputate this foolish pride
Minds eye pickled in cyanide and I can laugh at myself
Everyday life takes it's toll
When are we going home
Everyday life takes it's toll
When are we going home
The deviants will deviate rewrite the rules alleviate
A martyrs meant to mediate messiahs mend the word
Never heard my name called never anyone at all
Never in the right at the heart of every fault
I feel no pulse
Time to write me off
No vital signs
A forced impulse
Among idol minds
Everyday life takes it's toll
When are we going home
Becoming cold
How did we get here and what are we alive for
Give me a reason to murder my idols
Save your faith for the faithless we need it most
Need something to believe in but nothing comes close
Hindsight won't let me sleep at night amputate this foolish pride
Minds eye pickled in cyanide and I can laugh at myself
How did we get here and what are we alive for
Give me a reason to murder my idols
Some heads have got to roll
Everyday life takes it's toll
When are we going home
Everyday life takes it's toll
When are we going home
You made me what I am today
The toll that my life's taken everyday
Don't think I'll ever make it home
Not going home
I won't forget where I came from
Or what you made me
Some heads have got to roll
06 One More Day (03:36)
Canceled compassion this our ignorance
Not everlasting much less eminent
Stay time heals everything
One more day to regret
One more day to regret
In my eyes I see free deliverance
Not ever lasting such is punishment
You take me higher
Then the lowest place yet
One more day to regret
One more day
One more day
One more day to regret
One more day to regret
One more day to regret
One more day
One more day
You take me higher
One more day to regret
Then the lowest place
You take me higher
Then the lowest place
You take me higher
Then the lowest place yet
Canceled compassion this our ignorance
Not everlasting much less eminent
Stay time heals everything
One more day to regret
One more day to regret
One more day
One more day
One more day to regret
One more day to regret
One more day to regret
One more day
One more day
You take me higher
One more day to regret
Then the lowest place
You take me higher
One more day one more day
Then the lowest place
You take me higher
One more day to regret
Then the lowest place yet
One more day one more day
One more day to regret
One more day to regret
One more day to regret
07 The Dream Is Over (03:15)
Betrayed - by my soul
The blame - placed on my shoulders
Weight - I will carry all the way to my grave
I cannot be saved abandoned is my faith
Awaken now the dream is over
Daylight breaks on a broken home (disconnect)
Stakes are high and the temple's gone (resurrect)
Rebuild this structure stone by stone (reinstate)
Overcome this overload (restrain)
Pain
Remains
This pain
Remains
Betrayed - by my soul
The blame - placed on my shoulders
Weight - I will carry all the way until I'm
Broken down and I'm on the run (defense)
From myself and the damage done (prevent)
Future falls and past mistakes (avoid)
Conflict calls and complicates (destroyed)
Pain
Remains
This pain
Remains
Rise up from the ashes rethink my beliefs
The world rusts on it's axis
As my heart pleads for relief
Need relief
Betrayed - by my soul
The blame - placed on my shoulders
Weight - I will carry all the way until the
Daylight breaks on a broken home (disconnect)
Stakes are high and the temple's gone (resurrect)
Rebuild this structure stone by stone (reinstate)
Overcome this overload (restrain)
Pain
Remains
This Pain
Remains
Betrayed - by my soul
The blame - placed on my shoulders
Weight - I will carry all the way to my grave
I cannot be saved abandoned is my faith
Awaken now the dream is over
Betrayed - by my soul
The blame - placed on my shoulders
Weight - I will carry all the way to my grave
I cannot be saved abandoned is my faith
Awaken now the dream is over
08 The War Inside (02:58)
How could such potential go unrealized
The natives speak in tongues and tangled truths while chanting
diatribes
Somewhere deep down in the subconscious wrapped in riddles lies
The meaning of this life we try to find but only lose our minds
Through my blind desperation soul solely rages on
Social defacing here my replacement comes
Rumors of cutbacks harbored hypocrisy
My heart dwells in darkness
My body imprisons me
Breakdown - All the walls have fallen
My soul solely rages on
Storm the palace seize the crown
Soul solely rages
Whispered winds soon sound the calling
My soul solely rages on
Betray your malice heed your vows
On
Victory misery glory defeat
The war inside pushing me
Brings me to bleed
I thank you all for the laughs
Just like the poison in me
Raise a glass for my father then put me to sleep
Breakdown - All the walls have fallen
My soul solely rages on
Storm the palace seize the crown
Soul solely rages
Whispered winds soon sound the calling
My soul solely rages on
Betray your malice heed your vows
On
Erase those saccharine smiles vague in their sincerity
Lift these veiled chains in an endless search for clarity
Barely hanging on to a faith I'd briefly known
I've seen an angels face, the broken wings on which she'd flown
Emotion fades to faceless as we soon become sedate
Is it time to mourn this loss or is it time to celebrate
Through my blind desperation soul solely rages on
Social defacing here my replacement comes
Rumors of cutbacks harbored hypocrisy
My heart dwells in darkness
My body imprisons me
Breakdown - All the walls have fallen
My soul solely rages on
Storm the palace seize the crown
Soul solely rages
Whispered winds soon sound the calling
My soul solely rages on
Betray your malice heed your vows
On and on and on and on
Soul solely rages on
10 Eternal (03:12)
Face the day embrace the pain
Wage my war internal
Save my soul eternal
Reach out for redemption it bites the hand that needs
Neglect becomes rejection the silent sounds retreat
I can't believe
It's the last time
Anything you say
It's the last time
Chained to the past ride the wings of despair
Corroded and rusted trust beyond repair
In this triumph of the wills I won't be overrun
The pride that is instilled cannot be overcome
I can't believe
It's the last time
Anything you say
It's the last time
It's the last time that I'll try today
I can't believe
It's the last time
Anything you say
That I'll fall down
It's the last time
It's the last time
That I'll try today
Break it all down
11 Our Own Way (03:40)
Confuse the way we all live life
We want the same pursue the prize
Our own way
Our own way
Consuming time to run in place
Thoughts intertwined can't navigate
And lose our way
Confuse the way we all live life
We want the same things at what price
Our own way
Our own way
Confuse the way we all live life
In acts of rage we throw the game but still play
Arise from your failures traitors all await your final fall
The curtain call
Despised imitators plagiarized dictators claims are false
All is lost
Arise
12 Destroy the World Around Me (08:21)
As they feed the war machine and pull the strings behind the scenes
With a bloated sense of supremacy
Blinded by the preconceived distorted way to be perceived
It's what's believed by your enemy
Hold on to something - Here come the rains
This dam is about to break
Hold on to nothing - Self-contained
How much more can you take
Might is right and thought is wrong it's a long road nowhere
Enjoy the ride with blinders on
Your government is in control they'll keep you safe inside your homes
Board your windows lock your doors - let freedom ring
Hold on to something - Here come the rains
This dam is about to break
Hold on to nothing - Self-contained
How much more can you take
Before you break
Let freedom ring
Unto the dawn of darkness - glistening
Faithless savior murder me
Feed me to failure - disbelief
What does it take - everything I could want believe
Feed me to failure faithless savior murder me
Finish me - feed me to failure murder me
Finish me - what does it take to stop me
Finish me - nothing could make me not believe
Won't let this world get to me - finish me
I'll never live your life for me - unto the dawn
Unto the dawn of darkness
Unto the dawn - glistening
Feed me to failure finish me
Feed me to failure murder me
Unto the dawn of darkness finish me
Finish me - Unto the dawn murder me
Caught in the wave of the world around me
And in this state I'm sure it could drowned me
Will I ever learn the way everywhere I turn today
Something tells me run away something burns inside me
Even though I've pressed erase
Feel it slowly fade away
Thoughts that go on endlessly
How much longer can I wait
What does it take what does it take
Caught in the wave of the world around me
And in this state I'm sure it could drowned me
Caught in the wave of the world around me
And in this state I'm sure it could drowned me
What does it take what does it take
Will I ever learn the way everywhere I turn today
Something tells me run away something burns inside me
Even though I've pressed erase
Feel it slowly fade away
Thoughts that go on endlessly
How much longer can we wait
Caught in the wave of the world around me
And in this state I'm sure that it could drowned me
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