Formed by drummer Skinny in 1993, Mushroomhead was originally a side-project for members of other Cleveland bands. They played their first show on October 22nd of that year. The members wore a variety of masks to hide their identity and for theatrical impact. One of the vocalists, J Mann, eventually stopped wearing a mask and just put white make-up on his face with black make-up on his mouth and around his eyes, similar to make-up worn in the movie Dead Presidents.
Mushroomhead quickly became one of Cleveland's top local acts and developed a devoted fanbase. Mushroomhead's self-titled debut album was released independently in 1995, followed by Superbuick in 1996 and M3 in 1999. Over the course of those 3 albums the band had several line-up changes: Bassist Mr Murdernickel was replaced by Pig Benis after the first album, female dancer Roxy left, guitarist Dinner was replaced by Gravy, male dancer Bronson went to playing samples and then took over as 2nd Guitarist when J.J. Righteous left. During this time Mushroomhead was the #1 underground band in Cleveland.
Roadrunner Records approached Mushroomhead with a record contract which they declined. The band eventually got signed to Eclipse Records in 2000, and their next album, XX (a "best of" compilation), came out the following year. In 2001, Mushroomhead's members included drummer/founder Skinny, lead vocalists J. Mann and Jeffrey Nothing, guitarists Bronson and Gravy, keyboardist Shmotz, bassist Pig Benis, and sample provider Stitch when they signed to Universal Records to re-release XX. During this time Jeffrey Nothing also ditched his trademark goat / devil masks in favor of face paint.
Their first proper effort for the label was 2003's dynamic XIII, but the band soon parted ways with not only Universal, but also vocalist J. Mann during a subsequent tour. Undeterred, Mushroomhead pressed on with their D.I.Y. ethos intact and welcomed new frontman Waylon, formerly of 3 Quarters Dead, into the fray. Second guitarist Bronson would depart not long after Waylon's entry, leaving to study in film school. The DVD Mushroomhead, Volume 1 followed in mid-2005 before the guys returned in September 2006 with Savior Sorrow, released through New York-based indie Megaforce Records.
Mushroomhead released another DVD titled Volume 2 on October 28th 2008 and the band released the album Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children in 2010 via Megaforce Records.
Late in 2013, it was announced via social media that original vocalist J.Mann would be returning to the band. This leaves Mushroomhead with 3 active vocalists. There were some other lineup changes along the way, with new members Church stepping in on guitar, Dr. F on bass, and Roberto Diablo on percussion.
In May of 2014, the band will release their 7th studio album, The Righteous and the Butterfly, once again via Megaforce Records. This album will be the first to feature all 3 vocalists and the rest of the newer members.
Current
"Jeffrey Nothing" – Vocals (1993 - present)
"Waylon" – Vocals (2004 - present)
"J Mann" - Vocals (1993 - 2004, 2013 - present)
"Church" - Guitars (2012 - present)
"Dr. F" - Bass (2012 - present)
"Shmotz" – Keyboards (1993 - present)
"ST1TCH" – Turntables, Electronics, Samples, water drums (2001 - present)
"Skinny" – Drums, Percussion (1993 - present)
"Roberto Diablo" - Percussion (2013 - present)
Former
"Gravy" – Guitars (1999 – present)
"Pig Benis" – Bass (1995 - present)
"DJ Virus" - turntables (1993 – 1995)
"Mr. Murdernickel" - bass (1993 – 1995)
"Dinner" - guitars (1993 – 1998)
"Roxy" - dancing, electronics (1993 – 2000)
"J.J. Righteous" - guitars (1993 – 2001) (R.I.P.-J.J. passed away on October 28th 2010)
"Bronson" - dancing, samples (1993 – 2001), guitars (2001 – 2006)
A little more history:
Since 1999, Mushroomhead has had an on-and-off rivalry with Iowa-based band Slipknot. The feud erupted due to the image similarities between the bands. Many fans of Mushroomhead claim Slipknot stole their 'masked' look, and vice-versa. In an interview with Soundbites, then lead singer of Mushroomhead Jason Popson stated, "It seems a little strange, because they look so much like us and they have the same number of members and some of the same masks, and it was a little too strange that their record label had all of our material. I think it's obvious that they borrowed material from our show."
An incident between Mushroomhead fans and Slipknot themselves occurred when Slipknot trekked to Cleveland as part of their tour in support of their debut album. Mushroomhead fans flocked to the concert and peppered Slipknot with batteries, rocks, bottles of piss, etc., forcing them off-stage. In a press conference, Slipknot lead singer Corey Taylor stated that members of Mushroomhead had encouraged fans to do these acts. However, Mushroomhead has publicly stated that the band in no way encourages this sort of behavior, nor were any band members even at the show where the incident took place.
In a May 2007 interview it Imhotep.com, singer Jeffrey Nothing stated that the day after the Cleveland incident, his then girlfriend went down to the venue and the members of Slipknot and some of their crew harassed her saying: "You're wearing a Mushroomhead shirt, what do you know?" And they said it was our idea that you stole and now you are mocking us that we stole this masked-looking from you?, "The bottom line is: here is our city, our fans support us completely! They felt just as fucked over by these puny 'Clowns' as us and they aren't afraid to show it. "Welcome to Cleveland bitches." In 2005 Mushroomhead dressed as Slipknot for three shows in the northeast Ohio area, avidly mocking the band.
Mushroomhead's 2006 Midnight Halloween performance started with an announcement over the PA: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, Slipknot will not be appearing tonight,” which was greeted by chants of “Fuck Slipknot!” from the sold-out Agora Theatre. Soon after, the lights came up, revealing their Nightmare Before Christmas-themed set, complete with falling snow. St1tch and Little Dan (Skinny’s drum tech and drummer for Ventana) came out wearing masks from two members of Slipknot. Dan wearing Chris Fehn’s mask with the Pinocchio-style nose, Stitch wearing Shawn “Clown” Crahan’s mask.
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Pulse
Mushroomhead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a word in a phrase we mourn the loss
Please save us all from the preaching
Inhale the blasphemy, behold what you can't see
We're pouring our souls out and bleedingBaptized in lies
You're gonna need all of our prayers
And the whole damn congregation to save you
Toward your demise
And the whole damn congregation to save your soul
That all who wish to rise may rise again
To touch the stars and fly upon the wind
For those who know the most tragic of ends
Is not to die, but never to have lived
When you were young
Oh, how the sun shone
And beneath your feet, the greenest of grass would grow
Your time has come
See the grass from below
And the procession of all who've loved letting go
Dies Irae dies illa
Solvet saeclum in favilla
The first verse of Mushroomhead's song "Pulse" speaks to the duality of human emotions. It highlights the ability of people to brush off tragedy, yet simultaneously mourn it deeply. The plea for salvation from "preaching" suggests a resistance to being told how to feel in times of sorrow. Instead, the singer encourages listeners to inhale "blasphemy" and confront the unseen realities of the world, exposing their raw emotions by "pouring our souls out and bleeding." The chorus continues the theme of salvation, suggesting that it will take not only the prayers of the singer, but of the entire congregation, to save someone on the path to their own demise.
The second verse presents a message of hope and resilience. The phrase "those who wish to rise may rise again" underscores the idea that growing from tragedy is possible. The section suggests that one can transcend earthly pain and limitations, touching the stars and flying on the wind. The lyrics urge listeners to live fully and experience all that life has to offer. The lines "your time has come, see the grass from below" allude to the idea of death, a shift in perspective from the youthful, carefree imagery previously described. The final Latin phrase, "dies Irae, dies illa, solvet saeclum in favilla", translates to "that day of wrath, that day will dissolve the world into ashes." This haunting final line suggests that death is inevitable, and that one must live fully before that day comes.
Line by Line Meaning
With a rhyme in a laugh we shrug it off
We laugh and make jokes to avoid confronting the seriousness of a situation
With a word in a phrase we mourn the loss
Even a single word can convey a lot of emotion, and we feel sadness for what is gone or lost
Please save us all from the preaching
We don't want to hear the same old lectures, we want a new perspective
Inhale the blasphemy, behold what you can't see
Embrace the shocking or unconventional ideas, and open your mind to things you don't understand
We're pouring our souls out and bleeding
We are being vulnerable and putting it all on the line, even if it hurts us in the process
Baptized in lies
We have been deceived or misled, and need to cleanse ourselves of falsehoods
You're gonna need all of our prayers
You are in a hopeless situation, and require intervention from a higher power
And the whole damn congregation to save you
Not just one person, but an entire community is necessary to help you through this
Toward your demise
You are heading towards your own destruction or downfall
That all who wish to rise may rise again
Everyone deserves a chance at redemption and change, no matter how far they have fallen
To touch the stars and fly upon the wind
We all aspire to greatness and the freedom to explore the unknown
For those who know the most tragic of ends
People who have lived a full life but are now fading away understand the true sorrow of death
Is not to die, but never to have lived
It is worse to have never taken risks or followed your dreams than to have lived and lost everything
When you were young
Life was simpler and more innocent in the past
Oh, how the sun shone
The world was full of light and warmth, and possibilities seemed endless
And beneath your feet, the greenest of grass would grow
There was a sense of abundance and fertility, and everything flourished
Your time has come
Now is the moment of reckoning or transition into a new phase of life
See the grass from below
As we transition into something new or move on from the past, we get a fresh perspective
And the procession of all who've loved letting go
We must accept that everything has an end, even the things we love, and must learn to let go
Dies Irae dies illa
This is the day of wrath, the end of the world or a reckoning of all things
Solvet saeclum in favilla
The universe will dissolve into ashes and dust, and all will be consumed by time and entropy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Ryan Farrell, Stephen Rauckhorst, Steve Felton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind