Mudvayne Album: “The End of All Things to Come”

First off, I have to mention that my tastes in music are pretty varied, but my favorite music leans toward the ambitious, grand, whimsical, ethereal, refined/elegant, complex, original, intelligent, powerful, multi-faceted and in many cases, cerebral. Thus, I find one (to a maximum degree) or more of these qualities exemplified in progressive/psychedelic rock (mainly of the 60s and 70s), and classical music, which are my top preferences in music. As far as metal is concerned, I was never a die-hard fan, and still am not to this day, though my strongest interest in it was a decade ago, and has been nearly nonexistent since, as I found it to become tasteless, predictable and unoriginal.

However, on the discovery of some recent bands who seem to be pushing the envelope of metal (e.g. Meshuggah), I'm a bit more hopeful on the progress of "the hard stuff." Meshuggah plays "math-metal," a style which incorporates rhythmically complex features into metal. When I read that Mudvayne were also "mathematical" in their rhythms, I had to check these guys out -- and I am SO glad that I did. These guys have a LARGE amount of versatility and talent - so much so, that I'm not sure my feelings about the whole thing can be accurately expressed in words. The structures are indeed complex and mathematical, but the band does not shy away from melody and catchy heavy rock. It's a nice balance between accessibility and complexity (not unlike Permanent Waves-era Rush.) The lyrics are intelligent, which are at times serious, thought-provoking, and at other times humorous and/or sarcastic. There's even some metaphysical topics - like the lyrics to each song matching up with the psychological profile for each of the 12 astrological signs of the zodiac (if you're familiar with astrology, you'll EASILY be able to spot the correlations between each song and respective, highlighted sign.)

These guys are under the "nu-metal" label, but that's just a weak cop out from going into deeper analysis of the band's attributes, which may be difficult to do. Unfortunately, that's pretty much how the majority of "professional" critics are towards artists' contributions -- looking for the easiest comparative link, and failing to give artists' works fair, in-depth reviews (for lack of intelligence and laziness), and it's been that way for years and years. What's more sad is that many listeners follow these critical techniques, and rarely form solid opinions of their own.

Having said all of that, I'm not sure who to compare this band to, as they don't outright sound like anyone to me. The closest thing I can compare them to is Tool, but these guys seem a bit more loose, and groove-oriented in approach, but no less intelligent and intricate. And as far as the "nu-metal" label, it certainly does have that modern alternative metal sound, which unfortunately seems to overshadow the deeper (and more important) elements of their music, as well as scaring off potential fans. However, on the whole, I find it grossly unfair and inaccurate, as these guys possess more complexity, depth, versatility and originality than most artists found in popular music today. I call them something like progressive alternative metal (if it's all that important.)

Look deeper - there is MUCH more to Mudvayne than meets the surface. Beyond the campy image, the musicians are incredibly talented - particularly Chud, who is a hyper-versatile vocalist -- almost schizophrenically so. One minute he's doing these goofy growls, and the next, he showcases vocal characteristics of the most sincere balladeer. The rhythm section is tight, and drummer Spug plays some pretty complex rhythms on the kit, but not without displaying tasty grooves here and there. "Silenced" is an excellent way to open up the album, as a fast-paced, blistering rocker, while "Trapped In The Wake of A Dream" showcases some pretty odd rhythms (like 11/8 and 17/8, I think.) "Not Falling" is just excellent, as it balances the heavier moments, with mysteriously melodic vocals and soundscapes - not to mention a few curveballs in rhythm. "A World So Cold" is possibly my favorite track on here. Chud gets to show off his commanding, heartfelt, brooding vocals (which actually recall Greg Lake of ELP -- for me anyway), backed by the melancholy, atmospheric guitar arpeggios, which give way to harder-edged moments. There's also a section (I think the bridge) where Chud does this mesmerizing roadrunner-speed vocal technique, intermingled with growls, which are unbelievable -- a testament to his (and the band's) talent, while "The Patient Mental" seems to exhibit what is known as "revolving polymeter" (Meshuggah makes extensive use of this technique.)

Elsewhere, "Skrying" begins with what sounds like a 11/4 (4+4+3) rhythm, before turning into one of the strangest, most menacing choruses I've ever heard. The title track is probably the fastest on here. The lyrics are quite biting and sinister, but thought-provoking, which take on a nihilistic view of world politics. Even more powerful, they crack me up hysterically (at least in the way Chud delivers his vocal), and the topic is based on something that probably shouldn't be laughed at -- or should it? And "A Key To Nothing" is a melodic, heavy ballad to close out the album, in which Chud showcases his passionate vocal delivery.

Intelligence, melody, complexity, versatility, accessibility -- it's a 10. Mudvayne seem to possess all of the ingredients (and then some) which blend together nicely to create quality music. For those who are purist and label-conscious - try to open your mind, and look past the "nu-metal" aspects of this music. Only then will you be able to spot the genius that's embedded within Mudvayne's music.

This is perfect. No song, no album, no artist is better than Mudvayne's END OF ALL THINGS TO COME. This is twice as different as LD.50...

...and twice as good. If you're into Mudvayne or really heavy metal, I AM SURE YOU WILL LOOOOOOOOVE THIS!!...Chud's vocals and lyrics are more intellectual and more sensible than it's prequel, Guug's guitaring is awsome, Ru-d's bass is alot btter than LD.50, and Spug's drumming is more crazy and blinding.I have put thought into this and brung you my own review of the songs:

SILENCED - 9/10 - Incredible start to the album. Crazy and weird - just what I'd expect.

WORLD SO COLD - 10/10 - ballad at start, cool aggressive chorus, strange solo but blinding song.

Can you see the ratings I gave for each song? This is the best metal album up to date. LD.50 was good, but I've forgotten all about it. Buy it. I did, and it was the best decision I've ever made.

I was pretty excited when I heard that David Bottrill was chosen to produce the new Mudvayne album. This gave me some hope for what Mudvayne were going to try to achieve, considering the resume and list of artists that Bottrill has worked with in the past (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Tool, etc.). I thought that L.D. 50 was a promising major label debut, but I could sense that they had more ambition and musical/technical prowess than to be unfairly lumped into a group of Slipknot, Korn, Nu-metal wannabes by a lot of the press.

Well, on "The End of All Things To Come", Bottrill's work with the group has paid off in letting them more fully realize their ambition and the potential of their musical talent. Their second major label album is a slicker, more refined, and mature version of the music that they have been making for several years. The production values have grown while the excess fat has been cut out - they have created a lean, mean record. As lead singer, now christened "Chud", explains on the limited edition DVD that accompanies the disc - "The album is at the same time much harder than the hardest track on LD 50 and much mellower than the mellowest track on LD 50, with everything in between" - from a dynamics standpoint, he hits the nail on the head. Like their closest metal kin, Tool, their new songs are razor sharp, rhythmically precise, immensely melodic, with the rhythm section never veering out of control. This is progressive, rhymically challenging metal; although not as much so as say, Dream Theater or Fates Warning. Another thing of note is that the bass isn't as prominent as it was on LD 50. On the surface, this could be perceived as a bad thing, but with the bass taking a step back, it actually allows the other instruments to intertwine better and create a more cohesive band sound (and btw, the drumming on this record is amazing). The vocals have improved greatly over the debut, with less reliance on the "hoarse death shout" and more on "clean" vocal melody. The lyrics are above average for the genre - they border on ridiculous and cliche in some instances, but for the most part they are well written and are more thoughtful than your standard issue metal lyrics. Finally, like most challenging albums, it takes more than a couple of spins to completely sink in, but it is quite rewarding after you take the time to absorb what it has to offer.

My final overall opinion is that this is album is highly recommended to progressive metal fans. Mudvayne have proved with "The End of All Things To Come" that there are still some great "thinking man" metal records being made today. If you have enjoyed the last two Tool albums or even a fan of more "extreme" prog metal such as Opeth, this album will make a great addition to your record collection.

I think this CD is better than L.D.50 and the beginning of all things to end. I would give this CD 4.5 stars but there is no option. 4 stars is too low for how good this CD is. I like most of the songs on this CD, and the more I hear it, the more I like it. I cant stop listening to it. My favorite songs are Silenced, Not Falling, World So Cold, and Shadow of a Man.

1) Silenced- 4.5/5 a great opening song that will get your adrenalin going for the rest of the album.

Briggmn CD!

I really dont give a flying f**k about what people have to say about Mudvayne, espically ignorent metalheads (yes I am one, and love all types..death,grind,Hair.etc) but the only reason I rip is for better or worse for musicanship....Yet this Mudvayne CD is one of my favorite CD's. I think anyone who likes hard rock or metal should give this one a fair chance..Forget the image (now gone..they lost the makeup) or that they get FM radio and MTV airplay....This CD is brillent..Heavy is parts...Melodic in others..and downright hits a nerve everytime I listen to it....There isn't one bad song on this CD, and I am so impressed with the vocals more then anything...One thing..Please dont compare to them as Slipknot clones..They sound nothing like Slipknot even though they seemed to look like them at one time (or close to it) I believe they are totally unique without a true type of classification...I hope every metalhead and hard rock fan gives this CD a try..I think you will really like it..>ENJOY