Mudvayne is one of those bands that you have to give more than a cursory listen to. I admit when I first heard them I also lumped them into the category of "Nu-Metal" and that was based on hearing only a couple of riffs and the vocals. Sadly I could not have been more wrong for in truth Mudvayne is one of the bands that play what is referred to as "Technical Based" or "Math Metal". This is a genre that, according to Wilkepedia "It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures, stop/start dynamics and angular, dissonant riffs. " Despite the very Metal vocal styles of lead singer Chad, the guys making the physical music definitely fall into line with this description. The group has more in common with purveyors of Progressive or Funk music than many of their Metal peers and this ability on their instruments insofar as time signatures and riffing raises the bar on what is expected in most Metal bands today. With the release of Lost and Found the group delivers some fist throwing, head banging and jump worthy Metal to say the least. The band members used to sport garish costuming and makeup but have moved on from that in the recent past and instead focused more on the delivery of solid tunes. One might say it's a sign of maturity, or perhaps the band realized after a few years that their music was not about costuming and gimmicks.
Having only listened casually to the band in the past with one of my favorite tracks from them being "Not Falling", I was extremely pleased with the level of quality tracks on this release. The CD brings you right into a Metal brick wall with "Determined" that jumps and grooves like nothing I have listened to from this type of group. The "single" resides with "Happy?" and this song is amazing with Chad singing different styles. Another track that is single worthy is "TV Radio" and I don't mean that these are commercial tracks it's just that they can fit in a space where a larger audience can be obtained. Tribbett, DeMartinie and McDonough play their hearts out on the release and the trick is to listen deeper to the level of playing that they are showcasing. Chad does not scream every song and instead shows a smooth and passionate voice at times and this stands out from their peers. I was impressed and being a casual fan with limited background on them I can say that they deliver this same intensity in the live sense. Lyrics but no real photographs are provided on a fold- out booklet insert. If the band follows this up with even more power and technical ability I feel we will find something exceptional to be the result.
Track Listing
- Determined
- Pushing Through
- Happy?
- IMN
- Fall Into Sleep
- Rain, Sun, Gone
- Choices
- Forget To Remember
- TV Radio
- Just
- All That You Are
- Pulling The String
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