Released at the end of 2009, MUDVAYNE’s fifth studio album (Epic Records) is a self-titled effort that was produced by Jeremy Parker and provides a bit more of an “old school Mudvayne sound”, allowing the listener to get caught up again in what makes these musicians truly great in the first place, being able to write a good hooky head-banger that doesn’t grow old with the first spin. With an engaging and deeply passionate vocal performance from singer Chad Gray, the Vayne finally seems to be headed in a stronger musical direction than ever. I was impressed with the heavy groove on the opening track “Beautiful and Strange”. Ryan Martinie’s bass sounds utterly wicked tied to the skilled drumming from Matthew McDonough. The other track that stood out for me is “1000 Mile Journey”, showcasing the bad ass riff work from Greg Tribbett. All the songs on the album were recorded at the same sessions for 2008’s ‘The New Game.’, which is weird because I actually did not like that one at all. I feel that this release is the best songwriting the group has achieved since their second album, ‘The End Of All Things to Come’.
ROCKET REVIEW:[starreview tpl=16]
MUDVAYNE – “Mudvayne” (CD)
(Epic Records/2009)
1. “Beautiful and Strange” – 5:03
2. “1000 Mile Journey” – 5:56
3. “Scream With Me” – 2:52
4. “Closer” – 3:21
5. “Heard It All Before” – 6:05
6. “I Can’t Wait” – 3:03
7. “Beyond the Pale” – 4:47
8. “All Talk” – 2:52
9. “Out to Pasture” – 5:47
10. “Burn the Bridge” – 3:36
11. “Dead Inside” – 4:55
http://www.mudvayne.com/
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