Mudvayne is one of those bands that I like to bring up in conversation because either (A) someone will get annoyed that I’m not talking about a “real” metal band or (B) I’ll actually manage to trigger some feelings of nostalgia in the individual. Either way I’m pleased.
Coming out of a time period that was rather strange for the genre, Mudvayne proved to be one of the few gems in the overwhelming pile of horse shit known as “Nu” metal. Sure they didn’t become as commercially successful as Linkin Park nor did they develop a cult following like their leading peers in Slipknot; Instead they took a little bit of everything that’s heavy and meshed it into a sound that was fairly original. One listen through “L.D. 50” and you’ll see how the band transitions smoothly from math metal to grunge to death metal to groove metal. Hell they pretty much covered all styles of metal just on their debut. This was always a large part of their charm.
Although the band consisted of four talented and creative musicians, I’ve always held the belief that it was two of the members that really helped to give Mudvayne their signature sound. The first of whom is Ryan Martinie. This man is a very skilled and highly underrated bassist. His style of playing ranged from thrashing to slapping, and it always “popped”. Most of the time it was just as audible as Tribbett’s guitar and it helped to give Mudvayne’s overall sound that of a more technical nature.
The other member that really helped them stand out was Chad Gray. Whether he’s screaming, growling or singing melodically, there’s just something unique about his voice. It’s instantaneously recognizable. One of the interesting things about his delivery came out when he would rapidly change the speed of his harsh vocals, giving off the impression as if he were simultaneously screaming and rapping. It’s a more prevalent technique these days but back in 2000 Chad Gray owned it.
Take a look at the music below.
Links: Facebook // Official Website // iTunes
