Mudvayne
Sum 41: Let's see, now: a four-piece metal band who wear full makeup to disguise their real faces? Never been done before. What's that, you say? Kiss? Sure weren't they a glam rock band. Mudvayne do a much harder form of metal, closer in spirit to Korn, Tool and Slipknot. It's been sometimes described as "math metal", which doesn't mean that the band members perform calculus onstage. Math metal is characterized by brain-busting time-signature changes, ridiculously complex guitar solos and lyrics that only Stephen Hawking could decipher. In a press release accompanying the band's album LD50, drummer Matt McDonough sums up the Mudvayne musical manifesto: "The overall theme of the album reflects and embodies ideas about the evolution of consciousness, transformation and the risks involved in experimenting with things that can change a person's point of view, internally and externally." D'uh!
Mud pack: Mudvayne formed in Peoria, Illinois, in 1996, when four young metalheads discovered they all had the same nasty ailment, a "shared musical vision". Part of that vision was a passion for extreme, theatrical metal such as that practiced by Slipknot, who wear scary masks onstage. Mudvayne decided they needed an eye-catching gimmick too, but didn't want to copy Slipknot, so they copied Kiss instead. The band members also apparently named themselves after Orcs: drummer McDonough became Spag, singer Chad Gray became Kud, guitarist Greg Tribbet became Gurrg and bassist Ryan Martinie became Ryknow. Later, they decided these names were a bit silly, so they changed them to Chüd, Güüg, R-üd and Spüg.
Jazz Odyssey: With costumes, makeup and nicknames in place, Mudvayne began doing support slots with - who else? - Slipknot, and released their debut EP, Kill I Oughta. Besides their image, the band had other killer ingredients to offer. Singer Kud sang as though he'd been gargling nails and gurgling industrial cleaner. And bassist Ryknow used his jazz roots to full effect, often leading the band in long, noodly improvisations. They signed a deal with Epic (No, Spüg, you gotta sign your real name) and released the album, LD50, which stands for Lethal Dosage 50, the level of toxicity in a drug needed to kill 50 out of 100 test subjects.
Face off: For 2005, Mudvayne have decided to drop the makeup and the nicknames and show their barefaced metal cheek to the world. Their new album, Lost and Found, has spawned their biggest-selling single to date, Happy? The band are starting a European tour - and this time their makeup person isn't coming along. They're the mystery guests at this year's Ozzfest, and they'll be coming to the Temple Bar Music Centre on June 1.
