Arts & Entertainment
 

Mushroomhead fails to relive success

Metal band falters with second effort, divides fans into too many camps

By Moira Higginbottom
The Daily Cougar 

What words can be used to describe Mushroomhead's latest attempt at achieving greatness? Well, a few words spring to mind: juvenile, immature, repetitive and lacking substance. 

Mushroomhead was formed in 1993 in Cleveland, Ohio, and it has been integral to the shape that heavy metal has taken today. Most often compared to Slipknot, few know that Mushroomhead was the predecessor in the field. Its sound is a unique blend of techno/industrial, metal and rap. Most recently it infused its unique sound for its second national release, XIII. This is the sophomore album to the much acclaimed XX. That album was a compilation of the band's previous two independent albums with some re-mixing and a new track. 

XX offered metal listeners a profoundly new experience. With more lyric-based content than random repetitive obscenities, Mushroomhead set itself apart,

XIII falls short of the bar Mushroomhead set for itself — foremost on the lyrical content. A great example of this would be "Mother Machine Gun" where the lead singer (with a pretty lame voice) says with profound insight, "There is no master plan / Nothing to go on / Nothing to go grow on / To grow on / Nothing of evidence." The audience is left with a song that offers little in terms of depth. It is reminiscent of the kid in junior high who was really depressed and wore all black, not because there was something profoundly wrong, but because well, just because. 

Vocal duties are shared by two lead singers, J. Mann and Jeffery Nothing. The subtle irony is that one of the singers sounds like a 1980s rock vocalist, while the other one raps repetitive and immature lyrics.

The main theme in the album is that mankind has nothing to hold on to "Nothing to believe in." That theme is repeated over and over again and offers little thought or insight. Unlike some of its counterparts and even its own previous album, Mushroomhead focuses only on what most people feel at some point (loneliness and depression) and whining about it for a full 13 songs.

Another choice should have been made with who would sing what parts on the songs. The band relies too heavily on the 1980s almost synth-pop sound and does not utilize the heavier voice enough.

But there is a silver lining to this CD. "Kill Tomorrow," "Our Own Way," "Becoming Cold (216)" and "The War Inside" are some quality hidden tracks. The musical arrangements are still unique with a great blend of guitar, turntables, piano and violins.

It also has held onto the ability to always mix up the sound; switching up between heavy and melodic, piano or bass, hyped up or depressed.

Mushroomhead

XIII

Universal Records

The verdict: Hardcore fans of the band will buy the CD regardless, but casual listeners would do better to save their money and download the good songs.

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