Following up on L.D. 50, here is another "what could have been" record of my Nu Metal era youth. I vividly remember a close friend showing off the album art and raving about the music. Of course Not Falling is now somewhat of a downtrodden metallic anthem. One for Millennials needing to wallowing in ones woes. Its a powerful but moody song, flexing between aggression, torment and loathing indulgences. Like their classic Dig, it builds to a fiery release of tension, unleashed with half of a bouncy groove still holding on to its grievances, never quite going all the way in.
The End Of All Things To Come was a surprising maturing of ideals expressed last time. Thoughtfully channeling the syncopation to impactful riffs, toning down the overt Korn influences, this cloudy chromatic aesthetic edges out more from Gray. He finds a range of unique strains on his vocal chords to fire frictions and contrasts with the de-saturated texture his band forges. The rhythm section has power in force, chopping out grooves while melodic outbursts seem sullen and rainy in muted vibrancy.
Considering its sixty nine minutes long, the record lacks bloat. A real sense of care surrounds these songs, traversing a broader multitude of ideas with refined craft and expressive intent. It's a subtle shift away from the bouncy boom of Nu Metal, a further exploration of Jazz and Progressive musical ideas. Tribbet's guitar riffs often slam simple rhythms housed in different time signatures. Backed by the creative drive of drummer McDonough and dexterous musicality of bassist Martinie, it plays a delight.
Moments of expansive percussion, utilizing tom atmospheric drums, hazy looping guitar leads and progressive song structures, alluded that Tool were likely a keen influence on the band at this time. This retrospective has given much appreciation for a band I once considered just part of the fad. Mudvayne have much more to offer than typical Nu Metal bands, this record really defines their creativity and uniqueness. I know things take a turn from here, to stay on this path could of really been something!
Rating: 8.5/10