The group consist of Chad Gray (lead vocals), Greg Tribbett (guitar, vocals), Ryan Martinie (bass guitar) and Matthew McDonough (drums). Formed in 1996, Mudvayne became popular in the late-1990s Decatur, Illinois underground music scene. The band released an EP, Kill, I Oughtta, in 1997 and a successful debut album, L.D. 50, in 2000. They had global success with The End of All Things to Come, Lost and Found and The New Game, the band went on hiatus in 2010 and reunited in 2021.
The band was inactive since 2010, with its members performing in other projects and making guest appearances. Chad Gray is the vocalist for the heavy metal supergroup Hellyeah, to which Greg Tribbett was also a member until 2014. Gray founded an independent record label, Bullygoat Records, which produces heavy-metal albums. In early 2015, Chad Gray noted that the band's return seemed very unlikely, unless "everybody licked their wounds and got over it".
Early days (1996–97)
Mudvayne, formed in 1995 in Bloomington, Illinois, originally consisted of bassist Shawn Barclay, guitarist Greg Tribbett and drummer Matthew McDonough. The band's original lineup finalized when Chad Gray, who was earning $40,000 a year in a factory, quit his day job to become its singer. In 1997 Mudvayne financed its debut EP, Kill, I Oughtta.
During the EP's recording Barclay was replaced by Ryan Martinie, former bassist for the progressive-rock band Broken Altar. After self-distributing Kill, I Oughtta, Mudvayne adopted stage names and face paint.
L.D. 50 (1998–2000)
In April 1998 local promoter Steve Soderstrom introduced Mudvayne to its original manager, Chuck Toler, who helped obtain a contract with Epic Records and record the 2000 debut studio album L.D. 50. For the album, Mudvayne experimented with a ragged, dissonant sound; a sound collage, prepared for the album, was used as a series of interludes. L.D. 50 was produced by Garth Richardson, with executive production by Slipknot member Shawn Crahan.
L.D. 50 peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart and No. 85 on the Billboard 200. The singles "Dig" and "Death Blooms" peaked at No. 33 and No. 32 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Although the album was praised, some critics found the band hard to take seriously.
To promote L.D. 50, Mudvayne played on the Tattoo the Earth tour with Nothingface, Slayer, Slipknot and Sevendust. Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell became friends with Mudvayne vocalist Chad Gray, and they explored the possibility of a supergroup. The following year, Nothingface again toured with Mudvayne; although plans for a supergroup continued, they were put on hold due to scheduling conflicts. Gray and Maxwell had discussed five names for the group, and Mudvayne guitarist Greg Tribbett approached Maxwell "out of the blue" to join it. Although Nothingface drummer Tommy Sickles played on the group's demo, the search for another drummer began.
The End of All Things to Come (2001–02)
In 2002 Mudvayne released The End of All Things to Come, which the band considers its "black album" due to its largely-black artwork. Isolation inspired the album's songs. During its mixing, Gray and McDonough stopped at Bob's Big Boy and Gray remembered overhearing someone "say something like, ' ... and he's got to cut his own eye out'". When he asked McDonough if he heard the conversation McDonough said he hadn't, and Gray thought it was someone discussing a scene from a screenplay.
The album expanded on L.D. 50, with a wider range of riffs, tempos, moods and vocals. Because of this experimentation, Entertainment Weekly called this album more "user-friendly" than its predecessor and it was one of 2002's most acclaimed heavy-metal albums. The music video for the single "Not Falling" demonstrated the Mudvayne's change in appearance from L.D. 50, with the musicians transformed into veined creatures with white, egg-colored bug eyes.
Lost and Found (2003–05)
In 2003 Mudvayne participated in the Summer Sanitarium Tour, headlined by Metallica, and in September Chad Gray appeared on V Shape Mind's debut studio album Cul-De-Sac. The following year the band began work on its third album, produced by Dave Fortman. As for the previous album, Mudvayne withdrew to write songs; they moved into a house, writing the album in four months before recording began. In February Gray and Martinie expressed an interest in appearing on Within The Mind - In Homage To The Musical Legacy Of Chuck Schuldiner, a tribute to the founder of the metal band Death, but the album was never produced.
In 2005 Chad Gray established independent record label Bullygoat Records and Bloodsimple's debut album, A Cruel World (with a guest appearance by Gray), appeared in March. On April 12, Mudvayne released Lost and Found. The album's first single, "Happy?", featured complex guitar work and Gray described "Choices" as "the eight-minute opus".
In August former Mudvayne bassist Shawn Barclay released his band Sprung's debut album, mastered by King's X guitarist Ty Tabor. That month rumors spread that Bullygoat Records would release We Pay Our Debt Sometimes: A Tribute to Alice in Chains, with performances by Mudvayne, Cold, Audioslave, Breaking Benjamin, Static-X and the surviving members of Alice in Chains. A spokesperson for Alice in Chains told the press that the band was unaware of any tribute album, and Mudvayne's manager said that reports of the album were only rumors.
In September the band met with director Darren Lynn Bousman, whose film Saw II was in production and would include "Forget to Remember" from Lost and Found. Bousman showed them a scene of a man cutting his eye out of his skull to retrieve a key. When Gray told Bousman about the conversation at Bob's Big Boy two years earlier, Bousman said he holds his production meetings at the restaurant and Saw II was based on a screenplay he wrote years earlier. Gray appeared briefly in the film, and the music video for "Forget to Remember" contained clips from Saw II.
The New Game and Mudvayne (2006–09)
In 2006, Gray, Tribbett and Tom Maxwell were joined by former Pantera and Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul for the supergroup Hellyeah. On March 8, when Mudvayne and Korn performed at the KBPI Birthday Bash in Denver, Thornton waitress Nicole LaScalia was injured during Mudvayne's set. Two years later, LaScalia filed a lawsuit against radio-station owner Clear Channel Broadcasting, concert promoter Live Nation, the University of Denver and members of Mudvayne and Korn. During the summer, Gray, Tribbett, Maxwell and Paul recorded an album as Hellyeah. After a tour with Sevendust, Mudvayne released the 2007 retrospective By the People, for the People (compiled from selections chosen by fans on the band's website). The album debuted at number 51 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 22,000 copies in its first week.
After Gray and Tribbett returned from touring with Hellyeah, Mudvayne began recording The New Game with Dave Fortman. After the album's 2008 release, Fortman told MTV that it would be followed in six months by another full-length record.
For its self-titled fifth album Mudvayne hoped to create a "white album", describing its cover art. Mudvayne was recorded in the summer of 2008 in El Paso, Texas. The album, printed with blacklight paint, was only visible under a black light (a light whose wavelength is primarily ultraviolet).
Hiatus and break-up (2010–2021)
In 2010, Mudvayne again paused to allow Gray and Tribbett to tour with Hellyeah, and because of the supergroup's album releases the band would be on hiatus until at least 2014. With Hellyeah, Gray and Tribbett have recorded three albums: Stampede, Band of Brothers and Blood for Blood. In 2012, Ryan Martinie toured with Korn as a temporary replacement for bassist Reginald Arvizu, who remained at home during his wife's pregnancy. The following year Martinie played bass on Kurai's debut EP, Breaking the Broken, and in 2014 Tribbett left Hellyeah.
In a new interview with Songfacts in 2015, Gray said that Mudvayne's return seemed unlikely: I don't know if the full band will [ever reunite]. Who knows — they might be putting something else together. We were talking for a while and that whole thing with Greg [Tribbett's 2014 departure from Hellyeah] went down and everything kind of fell apart. Our relationship, which was the only truly solid relationship in the group, although Matt [McDonough] and I are still great, Ryan [Martinie] and I still briefly talk. I mean, the only way I personally would want to do Mudvayne is if everybody licked their wounds and got over it. There's a lot of things in that band that tore us apart. Maybe Mudvayne was the martyr for people that stopped supporting music. You sell 159,000 records the first week, and then the next record is like, 'Whatever, f--k it.' Maybe it's a subliminal message if you don't support things... Mudvayne's probably bigger now than it ever was. So, people want what they can't have.
In 2015, former Mudvayne members Tribbett and McDonough formed the band Audiotopsy with Skrape vocalist Billy Keeton and bassist Perry Stern. Audiotopsy describes its sound as "progressive hard rock."
Musical style and influences
Mudvayne is noted for its musical complexity. The band's music contains what McDonough calls "number symbolism", where certain riffs correspond to lyrical themes. Mudvayne has incorporated elements of death metal, jazz fusion and progressive rock. In addition to these styles, L.D. 50 featured world music and speed metal. Although Mudvayne has been inspired by Obituary, Emperor, Tool, Pantera, Mötley Crüe, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, King Crimson, Porcupine Tree and Metallica, according to them they are not influenced by other metal bands. They have repeatedly expressed admiration for Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, and were influenced by the film during the recording of L.D. 50.
Although the band has described its style as "math rock" and "math metal", drummer Matt McDonough said in 2009:
I honestly don't know what 'math metal' is. I made a joke early on in Mudvayne's career that we used an abacus in writing. It seems I should be careful making jokes in interviews. I don't really see Mudvayne as an innovator in anything.
Music critics and journalists have categorized the band as alternative metal, experimental metal, extreme metal, hard rock, heavy metal, industrial metal, math metal, metalcore, neo-progressive metal, neo-progressive rock, nu metal, progressive rock, progressive metal and shock rock.
Appearance
Although Mudvayne was known for its appearance, Gray described its aesthetic as "music first, visuals second". When L.D. 50 was released, the band performed in horror film-style makeup. Epic Records initially promoted Mudvayne without focusing on its members; early promotional materials featured a logo instead of photos of the band, but its appearance and music videos publicized L.D. 50. The members of Mudvayne were originally known by the stage names Kud, sPaG, Ryknow and Gurrg. At the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards (where they won the MTV2 Award for "Dig"), the band appeared in white suits with bloody bullet-hole makeup on their foreheads.[ After 2002, Mudvayne changed makeup styles (from multicolored face paint to extraterrestrials) and changed their stage names to Chüd, Güüg, Rü-D, and Spüg. According to the band, the extravagant makeup added a visual aspect to their music and set them apart from other metal bands. Since 2003 Mudvayne has largely abandoned makeup, but said that a future return to it is not out of the question.
Discography
L.D. 50 (2000)
The End of All Things to Come (2002)
Lost and Found (2005)
The New Game (2008)
Mudvayne (2009)
Now F
Mudvayne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stopped hourglass,
They predicate, what you will know,
Dispositions lie within,
And so do we,
Don't want to run.
Don't want to hide,
Renounce the prayers for inspiration,
Then smash my face upon the concrete I'm weary,
I feel the stares piercing,
So sorry to soil your precious eyes,
Reflections spoon-feed you,
The bitterness and disgust that is me,
If you choose to reach out to lend to me,
I'll chew off your hand
I'm not beggin' for your f**kin' change
I'm not beggin' for your f**kin' change
I'm in touch with myself,
All alone within myself,
All one. Alone
Do what you will make it the whole of your law,
Burn down the faith that shadows life
And take a deeper look inside of what makes you
Pull down the shades internal light can be blinding
Brilliance
I'm not begging for your f**kin' change,
I'm just begging for a f**kin' change,
Complacence quenched of me
Lineage is ending
I am that, once was me, rising upward, guts wrenching
Sculpted cold, blistering, break the mold, sever me
Cut your throat, be the martyr, bitter pills, that we swallow,
Take me, chase me, swallow with me
Know, now, know, now
Inside of truth, coming to, close to me, ground consumes and
embraces
me
Now forever
Born again,
I'm repositioning,
Self inside to self non-dimensional,
Lost to being,
I've recognized the cause,
Existence to come, alive now forever
I am once was
That is me
I am once was,
That is me
I'm broken altered vacillating force,
Round square corners circles dance around wet figures,
Prisoner of time I'm no more,
Insight will guide us through the majesty of nothing,
It's like I'm touched with love by angel girl,
Let bastards rot in time for all their evil,
Let bastards rot in time for all their evil,
Let bastards rot in time
The song "Now F" by Mudvayne is a rather intense reflection on the self, individuality and the desire for change. The lyrics reveal a deep sense of frustration and weariness that comes from feeling trapped in one's own life. The opening lines "Frozen moments in time, Stopped hourglass, They predicate what you will know" serve to convey the idea that the self is restrained and tied up by a kind of predestination, a denial of free will. The second verse, "I feel the stares piercing, So sorry to soil your precious eyes," reveals that the singer feels scrutinized, judged and rejected by the society around him, which leads to a sense of isolation and alienation.
The chorus "I'm not begging for your f**king change, I'm just begging for a f**king change" is an empowering declaration of self-determination, a demand for agency and personal growth. The bridge "Lineage is ending" is emblematic of the singer's detachment from social norms and expectations. The climax of the song sees the singer breaking free and being reborn, symbolizing a newfound sense of purpose and self-realization.
Overall, "Now F" is a dark and moody piece of music that features heavy, distorted guitars, pounding drums and intense vocals. The lyrics reflect a deep sense of introspection and defiance, marking it as a powerful statement of identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Frozen moments in time,
The present cannot last forever and eventually becomes the past. Time continues with or without us.
Stopped hourglass,
Timelessness. A moment preserved forever, immune to the passage of time.
They predicate, what you will know,
Society/some groups dictate what we learn and judge what knowledge is important.
Dispositions lie within,
Our personalities and actions come from our beliefs and attitudes.
And so do we,
We are who we are, unique and unchanging.
Don't want to run.
We can't escape ourselves, we have to face our problems head-on.
Don't want to hide,
We can't suppress our true selves forever, we need to be honest with ourselves and others.
Renounce the prayers for inspiration,
We can't rely solely on inspiration, we have to take action and responsibility for our own lives.
If you dictate what I will be
We shouldn't let society/group norms dictate who we become.
Then smash my face upon the concrete I'm weary,
We'd rather be beaten to a pulp than conform to societal norms.
I feel the stares piercing,
Being judged and criticized by others can be hurtful and damaging to our self-esteem.
So sorry to soil your precious eyes,
We're not perfect and sometimes our flaws and mistakes can disappoint others.
Reflections spoon-feed you,
Our self-reflections can be influenced by external factors and we might not see ourselves clearly.
The bitterness and disgust that is me,
Our negative traits and behaviors can be a source of shame and self-loathing.
If you choose to reach out to lend to me,
It takes courage to ask for help and accept support from others.
I'll chew off your hand
We might reject help out of pride or fear of vulnerability.
I'm not beggin' for your f**kin' change
We don't need anyone's pity or charity, we can change and grow on our own.
I'm in touch with myself,
We're aware of our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors and can self-reflect.
All alone within myself,
We experience our own life and emotions alone, even when surrounded by others.
All one. Alone
We are individual and unique, but also part of the same human experience.
Do what you will make it the whole of your law,
We have the power to make our own choices and actions that determine our own path in life.
Burn down the faith that shadows life
We need to question and challenge the established beliefs and values that limit our growth and progress.
And take a deeper look inside of what makes you
We need to introspect to understand our own motivations, thoughts, and feelings.
Pull down the shades internal light can be blinding
Self-reflection can be uncomfortable and painful, but necessary for personal growth.
Brilliance
Self-discovery and growth lead to new insights and ideas.
I'm not begging for your f**kin' change,
We demand to be heard and respected as individuals, without being judged or defined by others.
I'm just begging for a f**kin' change,
We want to improve and evolve, and we're willing to work hard and take risks to achieve our goals.
Complacence quenched of me
We refuse to be satisfied with mediocrity and stagnation; we strive to be better than we were yesterday.
Lineage is ending
The status quo and traditional ways of thinking are fading away; it's time for something new to emerge.
I am that, once was me, rising upward, guts wrenching
We're not the same person we used to be, but we're still connected to our past selves and experiences.
Sculpted cold, blistering, break the mold, sever me
We're willing to go through pain and discomfort to become our best selves and break free from limiting beliefs and behaviors.
Cut your throat, be the martyr, bitter pills, that we swallow,
Sometimes we have to make hard sacrifices and suffer to achieve our goals and improve.
Take me, chase me, swallow with me
We're not afraid to take risks and go all-in when it comes to our ambitions and goals.
Know, now, know, now
We're constantly learning and evolving, and we want to stay aware of our personal growth.
Inside of truth, coming to, close to me, ground consumes and embraces me
We're on a journey of self-discovery that will lead us closer to our true selves and the meaning of life.
Now forever
Our personal growth and evolution will last a lifetime.
Born again,
We've matured and evolved as individuals and are starting a new chapter in our lives.
I'm repositioning,
We're changing our perspectives and values to become better people.
Self inside to self non-dimensional,
We're not defined by external factors such as society or culture; instead, we define ourselves.
Lost to being,
We're disconnected from our true selves and life's purpose.
I've recognized the cause,
We've identified the source of our unhappiness and dissatisfaction and are ready to make changes.
Existence to come, alive now forever
Our journey of self-improvement will continue for the rest of our lives; we're taking the first step towards living authentically.
I am once was
We're not the same people we used to be; we've grown and evolved into better versions of ourselves.
That is me
We're proud of who we've become and embrace our true selves.
I'm broken altered vacillating force,
We're not perfect and have flaws and weaknesses, but we're willing to work on them and overcome them to become better people.
Round square corners circles dance around wet figures,
Life is unpredictable and full of twists and turns, but we're staying resilient and flexible to adapt to any challenges that come our way.
Prisoner of time I'm no more,
We're not bound by our past experiences or limited by time; we're free to create our own destiny and live life to the fullest.
Insight will guide us through the majesty of nothing,
By being introspective and self-aware, we can turn nothingness into something useful and meaningful.
It's like I'm touched with love by angel girl,
The journey of self-improvement is a positive and uplifting experience, filled with self-love and self-compassion.
Let bastards rot in time for all their evil,
We don't want to associate with people who are malicious, oppressive or ignorant; they will eventually face the consequences of their actions.
Let bastards rot in time
We refuse to let people who are toxic or negative bring us down, and will cut them out of our lives if necessary.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CHAD GRAY, GREG TRIBBETT, MATT MCDONOUGH, RYAN MARTINIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind