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Rating:
Mushroomhead made headlines a few years ago due to a dispute with the well-known nu-metal group Slipknot over the mask issue, which both bands share. Mushroomhead claims that they were wearing masks before the Des Moines group and that monopolizing the idea is absurd. Honestly, it seems like a stupid and unnecessary conflict to me because even before Slipknot and Mushroomhead, there were the face paint of Kiss or Mr. Bungle and Alice Cooper, so they didn't invent anything new in terms of look. Anyway, it's the music that counts, not stupid mask issues and similar nonsense, which is why I'm going to review what I consider the best album from these "fungus heads".
I was reluctant to assign the (de)genre nu-metal to the album "XX" because while Mushroomhead falls under that category, what they do is always a kind of crossover, but slightly different from the style of Korn, Deftones, or Slipknot itself. It's a post-thrash metal flavored with some rap vocals and a veil of industrial that hovers over all the songs. Reference groups to be clearer? Well, there's a bit of everything: Machine Head, Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Sepultura with a hefty dose of NIN, Ministry, and experimental fierceness à la Meshuggah.
It starts with "Before I Die" which strikes with its excellent thrashy riff and its driving pace rich with the typical alternation between growl and clean vocals from the two singers, enriched by dark/industrial overtones. The following "Bwomp" is introduced by a gothic metal atmosphere followed by an industrial rock song equally influenced by NIN and Ministry, and at the same time by the groovier Korn. Interesting are the rap segments that complete the album's song that comes closest to "standard" nu metal. "Solitaire Unraveling" has a slow pace with an initial hip hop inflection that bursts into a warm and loaded groove metal chorus, though it is a very repetitive and basic track. "These filthy hands" might be the only touchpoint between Mushroomhead and the extra-experimental Slipknot of "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat."; there's a bit of everything in this song: jazz, swing, post-thrash riffs, and hip hop. It's definitely original but diverges greatly from the rest of the album. Cadenced and angry post-thrash introduces "Never Let It Go", but again, it's a repetitive and predictable track. However, the central part composed of rap+metal+industrial is interesting. One of the most aggressive tracks is undoubtedly "Xeroxed", a song in the style of Cannibal Corpse and Deicide, or brutal death metal with thrashy echoes in the chorus. The rapid double bass used throughout the track is very powerful, an excellent song framed with synths at the finale.
The path changes significantly with "The Wrist", one of the best songs in the album, with a melodic piano introduction for a song with hefty and "agitated" guitars, if you'll allow me the term, and an engaging chorus. "Chancre Sore" is a great song of murky and violent industrial metal, expressing the anger that this group carries within. "The new cult king" recalls Korn's "Issues," especially for the vocals that resemble Jonathan Davis's. "Empty spaces" is an industrial/dark interlude song that leads us to the masterpiece of the album, "Born of Desire", a really hefty and "mean" crossover metal song that's halfway between Sepultura's "Roots" and Nine Inch Nails. "43" is another beautiful song that crosses Machine Head riffs alternating with Reznorian rhythms and a voice in the chorus screams that remind of Max Cavalera (ex-Sepultura, Soulfly). "Fear held dear" once again demonstrates the experimental drive that moves Mushroomhead, a song rich with syncopated drums, industrial keyboards, alternating violent/melodic vocals, and thrashy style riffs. Tribal drum rhythms à la Sepultura for "Too much nothing" turn out to be another of the great songs of this "XX", still crossover blending everything: the already mentioned Sepultura tribalism, typical nu grooves, pure thrash metal riffs, and the usual alternation between clean "rock/metal" vocals and growl set on aggressive rap. The outro is "Episode 29", a mix of drums and thrashy riffs with technological samplers; the album proper ends here, but after 27 tracks of 4 seconds of silence each (a bit like "Follow The Leader"), there's an alternative version of "Bwomp" on the 43rd track, about 3 minutes longer thanks to an added final part composed of rap vocals and industrial atmospheres, quite useless. Despite some interludes to avoid and some repetitive songs, this is a good album because it presents excellent songs and is pleasantly listenable from the first to the last note. Destined for lovers of modern metal!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Before I Die (03:14)
Set me free,
Let me be who and what I am,
Why can't you see?
You never seem to understand,
This pain I feel,
Which is real as your ignorance,
Question fate as I await deliverance.
Like a fantastic fork,
In bloody meat,
Don't give me love I wanna drown in your deep divide.
Tumbleweed sew the seed in this ghost town,
You never know what you'll see when the sun goes down,
I saw her last in a dream she seems to astound,
Heard of her first third verse (216) hands bound.
Taken from me in my mind,
Empty without it inside,
Starving I am the deprived,
Just want it once...
Desires strong,
Resistance is weak,
It's hard to win when you've got so many mouths to feed,
Set me free,
Let me be who and what I am,
Why can't you see?
You never seem to understand,
This pain I feel,
Is as real as your ignorance,
Question fate as I await deliverance.
I could die for all of my sins,
No not for all that I have never had.
This life's a fight for fulfillment,
Inside a war of my own,
Hindsight,
Look back with resentment,
Taken as I find myself all alone...
All alone...
Taken from me.
02 Bwomp (06:16)
Got To Get Together
Got To Get With The Game Plan
To Defeat The Dealer That Dealt This Hand
I Don't Understand Why The Kids Are Killing Kids
When The Only One's That Benefit Are The Big Whigs.....
Pray For Me
I Pray For You
Pray For Me
I Pray For
We're Piling It Too High
Talk Not Saying Anything
What We Leave Behind
What We Can't Afford To Keep
There's No Sympathetic Posturing
There's No More True Humanity
The Old Ways Aren't Working Anymore
Let's Separate The Users From The Whores
Creepy Crawl
Twist The 4-5 Cap To Get Wrapped
Tight Slap The Wax On The Wheels To Feel Alright
Find The Flow Freak The Funk Like Your In Heat
Wrap The Leaf Strike The Blunt Now Your In Deep
We've Got To Get Together
Got To Get With The Game Plan
To Defeat The Dealer That Dealt This Hand
I Don't Understand Why The Kids Are Killing Kids
When The Only One's That Benefit Are The Big Whigs
Mankind Unkind Always A Fine Line
We've All Got To Die And This Time It's My Time
Hindsight Blind Fight I Hate It When I'm Right
He Destroys The World While We Sleep At Night
Twist The 4-5 Cap And Understand
That If It Was Up To Me I'd Free Charles Manson
Hindsight Blind Fight I Hate It When I'm Right
He Destroys The World while we sleep At Night
Throw It All Away
If It Was Up To Me I'd Free Charles Manson
We're Piling It Too High
Talk Not Saying Anything
What We Leave Behind
What We Can't Afford To Keep
There's No Sympathetic Posturing
There's No More True Humanity
The Old Ways Aren't Working Anymore
Let's Separate The Users From The Whores
Creepy Crawl
What Do We Have To Hope For
Why Do We Even Try
Laughed At Religion Long Ago
I Doubt I'll Be An Angel When I Die
Mankind Unkind Always A Fine Line
We've All Got To Die And This Time It's My Time
Hindsight Blind Fight I Hate It When I'm Right
He Destroys The World While We Sleep At Night
Twist The 4-5 Cap And Understand
That If It Was Up To Me I'd Free Charles Manson
Hindsight Blind Fight I Hate It When I'm Right
He Destroys The World At Night
Let's Separate The Users From The Whores
04 These Filthy Hands (05:21)
(It can be anybody, it can look like anyone at all, anyone at all, you can never tell, regular people, they look like human beings {Faggoty Laugh))
Haphazardly, Tumbling Hard
Fall Right Down, Laugh Out Loud
All In The Scheme Of Things
We're All Looking Up Growing Tall
It's Like Pulling One Hair
You Are What You Are To Me (With Wet Fingers)
In My Eyes You're A Star (Petroleum Jelly)
You're Something I'll Never Be (And Watch The Rain Dance)
You're Something, I'm Frightened Of
I've Got To Get Clean
The Rain Will Cleanse Me
And I've Got To Wash
These Filthy Hands
Because It's All Just A Futile Plan
That'd Mean I'd Have To Believe Again
It's Like A Career To Breathe
An Existence I Can't Conceive
Emotionless As In Slug
With My Imagined Oblivion
You Would Swear (It's As Much Fun)
That I Could, Walk And Talk (As Poking At A Nerve)
But I Doubt You'll Ever (No One Wants To Fail)
Ever Prove Enough (Vocabulary Test Is Graded On A Curve)
Smartest Kid Is Stupid
Word Is Never Heard
(I Doubt You'll Ever Prove It!)
I've Got To Get Clean
The Rain Will Cleanse Me
And I've Got to Wash
These Filthy Hands
All These Thoughts And Feelings Are For Naught
Unappealing So You Expect Them To Dull And Fade
Still They Remain
Caught Waiting For The Rain
Time Devours Life
With My Soul As The Defendant
Don't Catch Me If I Fall
I May Have Jumped You Never Know
You Don't Know Me At All
All These Thoughts And Feelings Are For Naught
Unappealing So You Expect Them To Dull And Fade
Still They Remain
Because It's All Just A Futile Plan
That'd Mean I'd Have To Believe Again
It's Like A Career To Breathe
An Existence I Can't Conceive
Emotionless As In Slug
With My Imagined Oblivion
You Would Swear (It's Like Pulling One Hair )
That I Could,
Walk And Talk But I Doubt You'll Ever (With Wet Fingers)
Ever Prove Enough (Petrolium Jelly)
And Wash The Rain's Hands
(I Doubt You'll Ever Prove It!)
All These Thoughts And Feelings Are For Naught
Unappealing So You Expect Them To Dull And Fade
Still They Remain
Caught Waiting For The Rain
Time Devours Life
05 Never Let It Go (04:42)
Never let it go
Never let it go
Never let it go
Never let it go
Never let it go
Never let it go
Never let it go
Caressing the downfall
Outstretched arms on your knees crawl
Filthy & feeling low
Dancing in the undertow
Caressing the downfall
Outstretched arms on your knees crawl
The cut that always bleeds but never shows.
Everyone crawls to someone
Some run to the puppeteer & volunteer
To become one.
But who pulls the strings
That you are attached to?
Who Pours the gas
That you are the match to?
Strive for perfection and
strike with precision
Soon it blows up in your face
and the smoke blurs your vision
But now you're fading fast
Maybe your time has passed
Bound & gagged as you're
Dragged to the typecast.
Caressing the downfall
Outstretched arms on your knees crawl
Filthy & feeeling low
Dancing in the undertow
The cut that always bleeds but never shows.
Everyone crawls to someone
Some run to the puppeteer & volunteer
To become one.
But who pulls the strings
That you are attached to?
Who Pours the gas
That you are the match to?
Strive for perfection and
strike with precision
Soon it blows up in your face
and the smoke blurs your vision
But now you're fading fast
Maybe your time has passed
Bound & gagged as you're
Dragged to the typecast.
Jumping back and forth
and forth and back once more
Oblivious to what it is I'm looking for
Jumping back and forth
and forth and back once more
Oblivious to what it is I'm looking for
Jumping back and forth
and forth and back once more
Oblivious to what it is I'm looking for
Jumping back and forth
and forth and back once more
Oblivious to what it is I'm looking for
Never let it go
Never let it go
Caressing the downfall
Outstretched arms on your knees crawl
Filthy & feeeling low
Dancing in the undertow
Never let it go
Goodbye but I cannot forget it
No I'll never ever let it go.
Never, never, never, never...
No I'll never let it ... go
No I'll never let it ... go
No I'll never let it ... go
No I'll never let it ...
GO!
06 Xeroxed (02:57)
Fall From Grace
False Messiah
Laid To Waste
Amidst Desire
Fall From Grace
False Messiah
Laid to waste
Admist Desire
Never Found
The Fuel That Feeds
The Fire Of Your Passion
Carbon Copy
Xeroxed Soul
Redundant Thought Assassin
Regurgitate
All You Hear
And Claim It As Your Own
Step On Those
From Which You Stole
On Your Path To The Throne
Sink Your Teeth In Decadence
Manipulate The Crown
Drink The Wine
And Toast Us All
For We Will Take You Down
07 The Wrist (05:18)
Acting tragically in an inept manner
Trying to act like something really mattered
When I open my eyes it's all gone
Overthrown by your children
God willing shut you down
It's like the closer I get
I start to regret what I've done
A sick piece of shit
With the balls to admit when he's wrong
React defiantly, I am someone, someone
Might even fool myself before I'm done
When I open my eyes it's all gone
Overthrown by your children
God willing shut you down
Making believe there's someplace I belong
Greedo died by the hand of Solo
Amass a fortress of steel
Unsure if I can instill my will
Is caving in black till there's no bringing it back again
Led astray by their mock sincerity
False charity, condemned, chewing insult
Inheriting unwarranted birthright
Crown a scapegoat, new King of Shit
Ignorance is followed by ignorance
Repetition diminishing senses
Defenseless, crippled libido
Greedo died by the hand of Solo
When I open my eyes it's all gone
Making believe there's someplace I belong
When I open my eyes it's all gone
Might even fool myself before I'm done
08 Chancre Sore (02:37)
Self Absorbed
Chancre Sore
Love you like a matador
life is just a metaphor
Nothings fair
Love is War
Nothing more
Self Absorbed
Chancre Sore
Love you like a matador
life is just a metaphor
Nothings fair
Love is War
Nothing more
Self Absorbed
Chancre Sore
Love you like a matador
life is just a metaphor
Nothings fair
Love is War
Nothing more
Self Absorbed
Chancre Sore
Love you like a matador
life is just a metaphor
Nothings fair
Love is War
Nothing more
Self Absorbed
Chancre Sore
Love you like a matador
life is just a metaphor
Nothings fair
Love is War
Nothing more
Self Absorbed
Chancre Core
Nothings Fair
Love You Like A Matador
09 The New Cult King (05:13)
In That Dream
I recall Pieces of Prisons Im Escaping
In The Next Big Religion
I do the cross thing
Whichever way the wind blows
Your mind in time Im nine our lives
Unwide we find the wine red
Or White like the days fade away
A cloud of smoke blurred eyes
Your always Brighter in the daytime
you fight it after Midnight
It Just seems to me
its Such a joke
Every new walk through life just inherits Crhist
You Should have to prove something first
Prove Something First
Prove something
Your A Godfiend in that Dream
I recall Pieces of Prisons
Im Escaping From a black hole
I craw I crawl Beneath My halo Emanating
The only Proof You Need Is that
You Know & todays Ways Divine
Right Brainwashed Overnight
You Shouldnt Have to lose something first
Lose something your a godfiend
the new cult king
yeah doing the cross thing
cant you see why im still wondering if there is a dog?
search for signs to light the path
show me the saviour
Send a glimpse to glance & renew my faith
Emerald meets the oceans blue
In a shade of grey
The general Knows not what to do
As Tears run down her face
Nails through her hands&feet
On this cedar grave atone for sin
Can this be can my soul be saved
all alone i think to much
need to believe in something real
dont need this crutch because it just decieves
cant you see why im still
search for love or war
to restore disorder
challenge me once more
to hold my head above water
drowning quick
flooding soaked through my lungs
judgement day
the verdicts in
Seems the jury is hung
10 Empty Spaces (01:54)
What shall we use to fill the empty spaces,
Where we used to talk?
How shall I fill the final phases?
How shall I complete the wall?
11 Born of Desire (04:02)
I Feel So Helpless In This Haze
Better Days Are Laid To Rest
Life's A Test World Of Stress, Who Is Blessed?
Can I Get A Little Heart?
You Know The Deal Our Weakness Is We Feel Torn Apart
Still We've Got To Keep It Real
I Feel So Helpless In This Haze
Better Days Are Laid To Rest
Life's A Test World Of Stress, Who Is Blessed?
Can I Get A Little Heart?
You Know The Deal Our Weakness Is We Feel Torn Apart
Still We've Got To Keep It Real
Born Of Desire
Conspired Denial
Be Your Own Messiah
Savior, Everything
I Am The Liar
Jester To The Sire
I Burn With You Fire
Walk With Me
Pleasing Dreams
Are Few And Far Between
The Good And Badly Needed Breaks In Life
Just So You Don't Hate Yourself
Born Of Desire
Conspired Denial
Be Your Own Messiah
Savior, Everything
I Am The Liar
Jester To The Sire
I Burn With You Fire
Walk With Me
If You Believe
In Some Kind Of Masterwork
This Was All Meant For Something
I Am Truly Sorry
Although I'm Really Laughing Inside
Because I Know This All Comes Out To Nothing
I Am Truly Sorry
Although I'm Really Laughing Inside
Because I Know This All Comes Out To Nothing
Born Of Desire
Conspired Denial
Be Your Own Messiah
Savior, Everything
I Am The Liar
Jester To The Sire
I Burn With You Fire
Walk With Me.
Go On Believe
Life's Some Kind Of Masterwork
This Was All Meant For Something
I'm Sorry, Laughing Inside
For Nothing
Sorry, Laughing Inside
For Nothing
I Feel So Helpless In This Haze
Better Days Are Laid To Rest
Life's A Test World Of Stress, Who Is Blessed?
Can I Get A Little Heart?
You Know The Deal Our Weakness Is We Feel Torn Apart
Still We've Got To Keep It Real
Born Of Desire
Conspired Denial
Be Your Own Messiah
Savior, Everything
I Am The Liar
Jester To The Sire
I Burn With You Fire
Walk With Me
12 43 (04:51)
Mind hemorrage
Fucking folding chairs in the hallway
Crucified, paralyzed
You laugh, I cry
Calculating my miscalculations
What is the sign for
I'm choking to death?
Something's caught in my throat
It must be something I have said
Sighted blind
Braille is fine
Two black eyes
Are you an ass or just a fucking asshole?
What is the sign
For I'm choking to death?
Something's caught in my throat
Could it be something I have said?
There's too much, not enough
God and dog, well I've seen a dog
I'll take my chances and sleep like a dog
Hard in the ground, dig
God, dog, God, dog
Agnostic, insomniac, dyslexic
I'm wide awake and I'm wondering if there is a god
13 Fear Held Dear (02:20)
Listen, Listen to me
Listen, Listen to me Listen
You left your mark
A hand print in wet cement
To make sure these regrets
I won't forget
You tried to divide
dissect me of my pride
But i refuse to fold into your arms
Media's ventriloquist
Anglo Saxon
Evangelist
I find it so ridiculos
The fears that we hold dear
Listen, Listen please won't you listen
Anybody won'y you listen to the things that we hold dear?
14 Too Much Nothing (03:12)
I'm always excusing myself
But now it's getting hard to tell
The reason why I even care
Increasingly, I'm unaware
Instead of bettering myself
I'm crawling deeper in my shell
The whole point that I am alive
Seems to escape me at this time
I think too much nothing too much
I've never known how to behave
I've never strayed far from the grave
I need to get up off the ground
To force myself to make a sound
16 Episode 29 (01:36)
Listen
Listen To Me
Listen
Listen To Me
Listen
You Left Your Mark
Like A Handprint In Wet Cement
To Make Sure These Regrets I Won't Forget
You Tried To Divide
Dissect Me Of My Pride
But I Refuse To Fold Into Your Arms
Media's' Ventriloquist
Anglo Saxon Evangelist
I Find It So Ridiculous
The Fears That We Hold Dear
Listen
Listen Please Won't You Listen
Anybody
Won't You Listen To The Things That We Hold Dear.
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