Mudvayne
Encyclopedia
Mudvayne is an American heavy metal
band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation
, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint
, mask
s and uniform
s. They have sold over 6 million records worldwide, including nearly 3 million records in the United States.
The band consists of Chad Gray
, Greg Tribbett
, Ryan Martinie
and Matthew McDonough
. Formed in 1996, Mudvayne became popular playing in the Peoria, Illinois
underground music
scene in the late 1990s, and released a extended play
, Kill, I Oughtta
(1997), and a successful début album, L.D. 50
(2000). Mudvayne achieved worldwide critical and commercial success with The End of All Things to Come
, Lost and Found
and a self-titled album
.
, Greg Tribbett
and Matthew McDonough
. After a year of performing on the local circuit, the band's line-up was finalized with bassist
Ryan Martinie
, and they self-financed the recording of an extended play
, Kill, I Oughtta
, which the band independently released themselves. Following the release of the EP, the band adopted stage names and facepaint.
In April of 1998 local promoter Steve Soderstrom introduced the band their original manager Chuck Toler who helped get the band a contract with Epic Records
, and recorded their debut studio album, L.D. 50
(2000). For the album, Mudvayne experimented with a ragged, dissonant sound; a sound collage
prepared for the album appeared as a series of interludes. L.D. 50 was produced by Garth "GGGarth" Richardson
and executive produced by Slipknot
member Shawn Crahan. L.D. 50 peaked at #1 on the Billboard
Top Heatseekers chart and #85 on the Billboard 200
. The singles "Dig" and "Death Blooms" peaked at #33 and #32 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The album was appraised for its technicality and heaviness, although some critics found the band hard to take seriously.
To promote the album, Mudvayne played on the Tattoo the Earth tour alongside Nothingface
, Slayer
, Slipknot and Sevendust
. Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell
became friends with Mudvayne vocalist Chad Gray
, and they talked about the possibility of forming a supergroup. The following year, Nothingface toured with Mudvayne and talks to form the supergroup continued, although were constantly put on hold due to scheduling conflicts. At this time, Gray and Maxwell had brainstormed five band names. Mudvayne guitarist Greg Tribbett approached Maxwell "out of the blue" and wanted to join the band. Nothingface drummer Tommy Sickles originally helmed the drum kit for the band's demo, however, things did not work out and the search for a new drummer began.
In 2002, Mudvayne released the album The End of All Things to Come
, which the band considers to be their "black album", due to its largely black artwork. Isolation provided inspiration for the album's songwriting. The album expanded upon the sound of L.D. 50 with a wider range of riffs, tempos, moods and vocalization. As a result of this experimentation, Entertainment Weekly
deemed this album to be more "user-friendly" than its predecessor; it subsequently went on to become one of 2002's most acclaimed heavy metal albums.
The music video for the single "Not Falling
" revealed the transition from the band's makeup design from their previous album by having the band members being transformed into veiny creatures with white, egg-colored bug eyes.
, headlined by Metallica
. In 2004, they began working on their third studio album, Lost and Found
, with Dave Fortman
; As with the band's previous album, Mudvayne chose to isolate themselves to provide inspiration for their songwriting, moving into a house together and writing the album in four months, after which recording commenced. The album, released on April 12, 2005, departed from the sound of previous albums; the album's first single, "Happy?" featured complex guitar playing, while the song "Choices" was described by Gray as "the eight-minute opus".
During the mixing of The End of All Things to Come, Gray and McDonough stopped at Bob's Big Boy, and Gray recalled that he overheard someone "say something like, '... and he's got to cut his own eye out'". When Gray asked McDonough if he had heard the conversation, McDonough said that he hadn't, and Gray figured that it was someone discussing a scene from a film screenplay. In September 2005, the band met with film director Darren Lynn Bousman
, whose film Saw II
was in production and would feature the single "Forget to Remember
", from Lost and Found. Bousman showed them a scene depicting a man cutting his own eye out of his skull to retrieve a key. Gray told Bousman about the conversation at Bob's Big Boy two years earlier, and Bousman revealed that he holds his production meetings at the restaurant, and that Saw II had been based on a screenplay Bousman wrote years earlier. Gray appeared in a small role in the film, and a music video was produced for "Forget to Remember", which featured clips from the film.
In 2006, Gray, Tribbett and Tom Maxwell were joined by former Pantera
and Damageplan
drummer Vinnie Paul
for their supergroup, which they named Hellyeah
. During the summer of 2006, schedules were clear, which allowed members to take the time to record a studio album
. Following a tour with Sevendust, Mudvayne released the retrospective compilation, By the People, for the People
in 2007, which was compiled from selections voted for by fans through the band's website. The compilation debuted at number 51 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 22,000 copies in its first week. After the return of Gray and Tribbett from their touring commitments with side project Hellyeah, Mudvayne began the recording process for The New Game
with Fortman. After the album was released in 2008, Fortman reported to MTV
that the album will be followed six months later by a second full-length record.
For the release of their self-titled fifth studio album
, Mudvayne hoped to create their "white album", which would be reflected through the cover art. It was recorded during Summer 2008 in El Paso, Texas. The album was printed entirely in blacklight-reactive ink, making it only visible under a black light, a source of light whose wavelengths are primarily in the ultraviolet.
, King Crimson
and Porcupine Tree
, Mudvayne is noted for musical complexity. The band's music often contains what McDonough refers to as "number symbolism", in which certain riffs are used that correspond with thematic elements of the song's lyrics. The band has incorporated elements of death metal
, jazz fusion
, and progressive rock
. In addition to these styles, L.D. 50
incorporated elements of hardcore punk
and speed metal
.
The band has described its style as "math metal", while music reviewers and journalists have categorized the band as alternative metal
, extreme metal
, hard rock
, heavy metal
, neo-progressive rock
, nu metal
, progressive metal
, and shock rock
.
-styled makeup. Epic Records initially chose to promote the band without focusing on its appearance, and early promotional materials featured a logo instead of photographs of the band. The band's appearance and music videos increased recognition of the album. The band was initially known under the stage names Kud, sPaG, Ryknow and Gurrg. After 2002, the band changed makeup styles from multicolored face paint to dressing up as aliens and changing the stage names, now they were Chüd, Güüg, Rü-D, and Spüg. Mudvayne's reason for wearing such extravagant makeup was, according to the band, to add a visual aspect to their music and to set them apart from other run-of-the-mill metal bands. Since 2005, Mudvayne has largely stopped using makeup, but have stated that future use of makeup is not out of the question.
Former members
Timeline
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation
Acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in the field of acoustics...
, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint
Body painting
Body painting, or sometimes bodypainting, is a form of body art. Unlike tattoo and other forms of body art, body painting is temporary, painted onto the human skin, and lasts for only several hours, or at most a couple of weeks. Body painting that is limited to the face is known as face painting...
, mask
Mask
A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...
s and uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
s. They have sold over 6 million records worldwide, including nearly 3 million records in the United States.
The band consists of Chad Gray
Chad Gray
Chad Gray , is the lead vocalist for the American heavy metal bands Mudvayne and Hellyeah.-Personal life:Gray is the son of Dan and Mitzi Gray of Edgewater, Florida...
, Greg Tribbett
Greg Tribbett
Greg Tribbett is the guitarist and backing vocalist for American band Mudvayne, and supergroup Hellyeah. He has been with Mudvayne since their inception in 1996. He has named Randy Rhoads as the guitarist who most influenced him. He plays Gibson V's, Gibson Les Pauls, Ibanez S-series, Ibanez...
, Ryan Martinie
Ryan Martinie
Ryan Martinie is an American bassist, best known for being the bass player of heavy metal band Mudvayne. He is well known for his complex basslines and unique playing style...
and Matthew McDonough
Matthew McDonough
Matthew McDonough is the drummer for heavy metal band Mudvayne. McDonough is the band's original drummer and has appeared and performed on every release by Mudvayne...
. Formed in 1996, Mudvayne became popular playing in the Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
underground music
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
scene in the late 1990s, and released a extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Kill, I Oughtta
Kill, I Oughtta
Kill, I Oughtta is the debut extended play of American heavy metal band Mudvayne. It was self-released by the band in 1997. In 2001, the EP was reissued by Epic Records under the title The Beginning of All Things to End. The reissue featured remixes of "Dig", a song from the band's debut studio...
(1997), and a successful début album, L.D. 50
L.D. 50 (album)
L.D. 50 is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Mudvayne. Released in 2000, it is the band's first release on Epic Records, following the independently-released extended play, Kill, I Oughtta. L.D. 50 was coproduced by GGGarth & Mudvayne and executive produced by Steve Richards &...
(2000). Mudvayne achieved worldwide critical and commercial success with The End of All Things to Come
The End of All Things to Come
The End of All Things to Come is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Mudvayne, released on November 19, 2002.It was certified Gold by the RIAA.- Musical style :...
, Lost and Found
Lost and Found (Mudvayne album)
Lost and Found is the third full-length album by Mudvayne. The album was released on April 12, 2005 through Epic Records. The album had major success in the U.S., debuting at number #2 and being certified Gold by the RIAA shortly afterward. It has sold about 800,000 copies as of August 2006...
and a self-titled album
Mudvayne (album)
-Personnel:Mudvayne* Chad Gray − vocals* Greg Tribbett − guitars* Ryan Martinie − bass* Matthew McDonough − drumsProduction and art* Jeremy Parker − production* Paul Booth − art direction and design...
.
Early days, L.D. 50 and The End of All Things to Come
Mudvayne formed in 1996 in Bloomington, Illinois, and originally consisted of Chad GrayChad Gray
Chad Gray , is the lead vocalist for the American heavy metal bands Mudvayne and Hellyeah.-Personal life:Gray is the son of Dan and Mitzi Gray of Edgewater, Florida...
, Greg Tribbett
Greg Tribbett
Greg Tribbett is the guitarist and backing vocalist for American band Mudvayne, and supergroup Hellyeah. He has been with Mudvayne since their inception in 1996. He has named Randy Rhoads as the guitarist who most influenced him. He plays Gibson V's, Gibson Les Pauls, Ibanez S-series, Ibanez...
and Matthew McDonough
Matthew McDonough
Matthew McDonough is the drummer for heavy metal band Mudvayne. McDonough is the band's original drummer and has appeared and performed on every release by Mudvayne...
. After a year of performing on the local circuit, the band's line-up was finalized with bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Ryan Martinie
Ryan Martinie
Ryan Martinie is an American bassist, best known for being the bass player of heavy metal band Mudvayne. He is well known for his complex basslines and unique playing style...
, and they self-financed the recording of an extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Kill, I Oughtta
Kill, I Oughtta
Kill, I Oughtta is the debut extended play of American heavy metal band Mudvayne. It was self-released by the band in 1997. In 2001, the EP was reissued by Epic Records under the title The Beginning of All Things to End. The reissue featured remixes of "Dig", a song from the band's debut studio...
, which the band independently released themselves. Following the release of the EP, the band adopted stage names and facepaint.
In April of 1998 local promoter Steve Soderstrom introduced the band their original manager Chuck Toler who helped get the band a contract with Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, and recorded their debut studio album, L.D. 50
L.D. 50 (album)
L.D. 50 is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Mudvayne. Released in 2000, it is the band's first release on Epic Records, following the independently-released extended play, Kill, I Oughtta. L.D. 50 was coproduced by GGGarth & Mudvayne and executive produced by Steve Richards &...
(2000). For the album, Mudvayne experimented with a ragged, dissonant sound; a sound collage
Sound collage
In music, montage or sound collage is a technique where sound objects or compositions, including songs, are created from collage, also known as montage, the use of portions of previous recordings or scores...
prepared for the album appeared as a series of interludes. L.D. 50 was produced by Garth "GGGarth" Richardson
Garth Richardson
Garth "GGGarth" Richardson is a Canadian music producer and engineer. He is the son of renowned Canadian music producer Jack Richardson . Jack was a pioneer of the music recording industry in the 60's and 70's...
and executive produced by Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
member Shawn Crahan. L.D. 50 peaked at #1 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top Heatseekers chart and #85 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The singles "Dig" and "Death Blooms" peaked at #33 and #32 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The album was appraised for its technicality and heaviness, although some critics found the band hard to take seriously.
To promote the album, Mudvayne played on the Tattoo the Earth tour alongside Nothingface
Nothingface
Nothingface was a four-piece metal band from Washington, D.C. noted for having graphic lyrics and occasionally using political themes in their later works, as well as polyrhythmic songs.-First Run:...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, Slipknot and Sevendust
Sevendust
Sevendust is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group...
. Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell
Tom Maxwell
Tom Maxwell is a modern metal/rock guitarist in the bands Knives Out! and Hellyeah. Previous bands include Nothingface in which he was a founding member and main song-writer with Bill Gaal. After Nothingface he was involved in a band with Skrape vocalist Billy Keeton. In the 1980s he was in thrash...
became friends with Mudvayne vocalist Chad Gray
Chad Gray
Chad Gray , is the lead vocalist for the American heavy metal bands Mudvayne and Hellyeah.-Personal life:Gray is the son of Dan and Mitzi Gray of Edgewater, Florida...
, and they talked about the possibility of forming a supergroup. The following year, Nothingface toured with Mudvayne and talks to form the supergroup continued, although were constantly put on hold due to scheduling conflicts. At this time, Gray and Maxwell had brainstormed five band names. Mudvayne guitarist Greg Tribbett approached Maxwell "out of the blue" and wanted to join the band. Nothingface drummer Tommy Sickles originally helmed the drum kit for the band's demo, however, things did not work out and the search for a new drummer began.
In 2002, Mudvayne released the album The End of All Things to Come
The End of All Things to Come
The End of All Things to Come is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Mudvayne, released on November 19, 2002.It was certified Gold by the RIAA.- Musical style :...
, which the band considers to be their "black album", due to its largely black artwork. Isolation provided inspiration for the album's songwriting. The album expanded upon the sound of L.D. 50 with a wider range of riffs, tempos, moods and vocalization. As a result of this experimentation, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
deemed this album to be more "user-friendly" than its predecessor; it subsequently went on to become one of 2002's most acclaimed heavy metal albums.
The music video for the single "Not Falling
Not Falling
"Not Falling" is the first single from American heavy metal band Mudvayne's second full length studio album, The End of All Things to Come. "Not Falling" was Mudvayne's most commercially successful single chart-wise until "Happy?" in 2005....
" revealed the transition from the band's makeup design from their previous album by having the band members being transformed into veiny creatures with white, egg-colored bug eyes.
Lost and Found, The New Game and self-titled album
In 2003, Mudvayne participated in the Summer Sanitarium TourSummer Sanitarium Tour
The Summer Sanitarium Tour was Metallica's packaged tour in the Summer of the year 2000. Taking place in "stadiums, arenas, and yes, even speedways," the tour was one of the top grossing tours of the Summer. It was also the final tour for long-time bassist Jason Newsted who quit the band in January...
, headlined by Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
. In 2004, they began working on their third studio album, Lost and Found
Lost and Found (Mudvayne album)
Lost and Found is the third full-length album by Mudvayne. The album was released on April 12, 2005 through Epic Records. The album had major success in the U.S., debuting at number #2 and being certified Gold by the RIAA shortly afterward. It has sold about 800,000 copies as of August 2006...
, with Dave Fortman
Dave Fortman
Dave Fortman is the guitarist for the band Ugly Kid Joe. He currently is an American music producer. He has worked with bands such as Superjoint Ritual, Watership Down, Eyehategod, Mudvayne, Otep, Slipknot on their new fourth studio album titled All Hope Is Gone, and Simple Plan, as well as on both...
; As with the band's previous album, Mudvayne chose to isolate themselves to provide inspiration for their songwriting, moving into a house together and writing the album in four months, after which recording commenced. The album, released on April 12, 2005, departed from the sound of previous albums; the album's first single, "Happy?" featured complex guitar playing, while the song "Choices" was described by Gray as "the eight-minute opus".
During the mixing of The End of All Things to Come, Gray and McDonough stopped at Bob's Big Boy, and Gray recalled that he overheard someone "say something like, '... and he's got to cut his own eye out'". When Gray asked McDonough if he had heard the conversation, McDonough said that he hadn't, and Gray figured that it was someone discussing a scene from a film screenplay. In September 2005, the band met with film director Darren Lynn Bousman
Darren Lynn Bousman
Darren Lynn Bousman is an American film director and screenwriter.-Personal life:Bousman was born in Overland Park, Kansas, the son of Nancy and Lynn Bousman. He is a graduate of the Film School at Full Sail University. He attended high school at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park,...
, whose film Saw II
Saw II
Saw II is a 2005 Canadian-American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and co-written by Bousman and the first film's co-writer Leigh Whannell. It is a sequel to 2004's Saw and the second installment in the seven-part Saw film series...
was in production and would feature the single "Forget to Remember
Forget to Remember
"Forget to Remember" is the third single and eighth track from Mudvayne's third album Lost and Found. The song was featured in the film Saw II, which helped gain the band considerable mainstream popularity...
", from Lost and Found. Bousman showed them a scene depicting a man cutting his own eye out of his skull to retrieve a key. Gray told Bousman about the conversation at Bob's Big Boy two years earlier, and Bousman revealed that he holds his production meetings at the restaurant, and that Saw II had been based on a screenplay Bousman wrote years earlier. Gray appeared in a small role in the film, and a music video was produced for "Forget to Remember", which featured clips from the film.
In 2006, Gray, Tribbett and Tom Maxwell were joined by former Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
and Damageplan
Damageplan
Damageplan was an American heavy metal supergroup from Dallas, Texas that formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halford guitarist Pat Lachman on vocals, and later...
drummer Vinnie Paul
Vinnie Paul
Vincent Paul Abbott, also known as "Vinnie Paul" is a heavy metal drummer and producer who is currently a member of supergroup Hellyeah, but is best known for being a member, and co-founder, of the heavy metal band Pantera...
for their supergroup, which they named Hellyeah
Hellyeah
Hellyeah is an American heavy metal supergroup, consisting of Mudvayne vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett, Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell, Damageplan bassist Bob Zilla, and former Pantera and Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul. The idea to form a supergroup originated in 2001 on the...
. During the summer of 2006, schedules were clear, which allowed members to take the time to record a studio album
Hellyeah (album)
"You Wouldn't Know" is about the difficulty of maintaining one's integrity in the profit-obsessed music industry. "Thank You" is a tribute to all of the band's recently departed family members: Vinnie Paul's brother Dimebag Darrell, Tom Maxwell's mother, and Chad Gray's grandmother.The album...
. Following a tour with Sevendust, Mudvayne released the retrospective compilation, By the People, for the People
By the People, for the People
- Personnel :* Chad Gray – vocals* Greg Tribbett – guitar* Ryan Martinie – bass* Matthew McDonough – drums* Dave Fortman – production-Chart positions:AlbumSingles...
in 2007, which was compiled from selections voted for by fans through the band's website. The compilation debuted at number 51 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 22,000 copies in its first week. After the return of Gray and Tribbett from their touring commitments with side project Hellyeah, Mudvayne began the recording process for The New Game
The New Game
- Deluxe songs :- Personnel :* Chad Gray − vocals* Greg Tribbett − guitars, backing vocals* Ryan Martinie − bass* Matthew McDonough − drums* Dave Fortman − producer, mixing- Chart positions :AlbumSingles...
with Fortman. After the album was released in 2008, Fortman reported to MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
that the album will be followed six months later by a second full-length record.
For the release of their self-titled fifth studio album
Mudvayne (album)
-Personnel:Mudvayne* Chad Gray − vocals* Greg Tribbett − guitars* Ryan Martinie − bass* Matthew McDonough − drumsProduction and art* Jeremy Parker − production* Paul Booth − art direction and design...
, Mudvayne hoped to create their "white album", which would be reflected through the cover art. It was recorded during Summer 2008 in El Paso, Texas. The album was printed entirely in blacklight-reactive ink, making it only visible under a black light, a source of light whose wavelengths are primarily in the ultraviolet.
Music
Influenced by performers such as EmperorEmperor (band)
Emperor was a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1991. They dissolved in 2001, but reunited in 2006 and again in 2007 for a few festival dates and brief US tours. The group was founded by Samoth and Ihsahn .-Biography:...
, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
and Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree is a progressive rock band formed by Steven Wilson in 1987 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Their music is difficult to categorise, being associated with both psychedelic rock and progressive rock, yet having been influenced by trance, krautrock and ambient due to Steven...
, Mudvayne is noted for musical complexity. The band's music often contains what McDonough refers to as "number symbolism", in which certain riffs are used that correspond with thematic elements of the song's lyrics. The band has incorporated elements of death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
, jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
, and progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
. In addition to these styles, L.D. 50
L.D. 50 (album)
L.D. 50 is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Mudvayne. Released in 2000, it is the band's first release on Epic Records, following the independently-released extended play, Kill, I Oughtta. L.D. 50 was coproduced by GGGarth & Mudvayne and executive produced by Steve Richards &...
incorporated elements of hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
and speed metal
Speed metal
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
.
The band has described its style as "math metal", while music reviewers and journalists have categorized the band as alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
, extreme metal
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
, hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, neo-progressive rock
Neo-progressive rock
Neo-progressive rock is a sub-genre of progressive rock, developed in the UK and popular in the 1980s, although it lives on today....
, nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
, progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
, and shock rock
Shock rock
Shock rock is an umbrella term for artists who combine rock music with elements of theatrical shock value in live performances.-History:Screamin' Jay Hawkins was arguably the first shock rocker...
.
Appearance
Mudvayne was formerly known for its strong visual appearance. Gray described the band's aesthetic as "music first, visuals second". During the release of L.D. 50, the band performed in horror filmHorror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
-styled makeup. Epic Records initially chose to promote the band without focusing on its appearance, and early promotional materials featured a logo instead of photographs of the band. The band's appearance and music videos increased recognition of the album. The band was initially known under the stage names Kud, sPaG, Ryknow and Gurrg. After 2002, the band changed makeup styles from multicolored face paint to dressing up as aliens and changing the stage names, now they were Chüd, Güüg, Rü-D, and Spüg. Mudvayne's reason for wearing such extravagant makeup was, according to the band, to add a visual aspect to their music and to set them apart from other run-of-the-mill metal bands. Since 2005, Mudvayne has largely stopped using makeup, but have stated that future use of makeup is not out of the question.
Band members
Current members- Chad GrayChad GrayChad Gray , is the lead vocalist for the American heavy metal bands Mudvayne and Hellyeah.-Personal life:Gray is the son of Dan and Mitzi Gray of Edgewater, Florida...
– lead vocals - Greg TribbettGreg TribbettGreg Tribbett is the guitarist and backing vocalist for American band Mudvayne, and supergroup Hellyeah. He has been with Mudvayne since their inception in 1996. He has named Randy Rhoads as the guitarist who most influenced him. He plays Gibson V's, Gibson Les Pauls, Ibanez S-series, Ibanez...
– guitar, backing vocals - Ryan MartinieRyan MartinieRyan Martinie is an American bassist, best known for being the bass player of heavy metal band Mudvayne. He is well known for his complex basslines and unique playing style...
– bass, backing vocals - Matthew McDonoughMatthew McDonoughMatthew McDonough is the drummer for heavy metal band Mudvayne. McDonough is the band's original drummer and has appeared and performed on every release by Mudvayne...
– drums, percussion
Former members
- Shawn Barclay – bass (1996–1998)
Timeline
Discography
- L.D. 50L.D. 50 (album)L.D. 50 is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Mudvayne. Released in 2000, it is the band's first release on Epic Records, following the independently-released extended play, Kill, I Oughtta. L.D. 50 was coproduced by GGGarth & Mudvayne and executive produced by Steve Richards &...
(2000) - The End of All Things to ComeThe End of All Things to ComeThe End of All Things to Come is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Mudvayne, released on November 19, 2002.It was certified Gold by the RIAA.- Musical style :...
(2002) - Lost and FoundLost and Found (Mudvayne album)Lost and Found is the third full-length album by Mudvayne. The album was released on April 12, 2005 through Epic Records. The album had major success in the U.S., debuting at number #2 and being certified Gold by the RIAA shortly afterward. It has sold about 800,000 copies as of August 2006...
(2005) - The New GameThe New Game- Deluxe songs :- Personnel :* Chad Gray − vocals* Greg Tribbett − guitars, backing vocals* Ryan Martinie − bass* Matthew McDonough − drums* Dave Fortman − producer, mixing- Chart positions :AlbumSingles...
(2008) - MudvayneMudvayne (album)-Personnel:Mudvayne* Chad Gray − vocals* Greg Tribbett − guitars* Ryan Martinie − bass* Matthew McDonough − drumsProduction and art* Jeremy Parker − production* Paul Booth − art direction and design...
(2009)