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
TATTOO
Mushroomhead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Breaking the will of man
Deny all my saviors
No answers for prayers
Im all alone no turning back this time
Oppose the rise
Acts of free thought free the mind
Seek no redemption
My hates on a mission
Find the one way destruct inside
Sunshine moonlight
Stars soar in a violent sky
Condemning life with no meaning
Fell so question the thoughts
That imply stand arise
Seeds of hatred boil deep inside
My will has grown weak
To find the path that i seek
Losing my way on a path of destruction
Realease me
Feel so cold
As I interpret these lyrics, they seem to be about someone who is struggling with their faith and asking for release from the turmoil and struggles of their mind. They feel alone and unsupported, hopeless even, as their prayers go unanswered and they are trapped in a cell of their own negative emotions. The lyrics express a feeling of desperation and a longing to break free from their despair.
The lines "Acts of free thought free the mind" suggest that the writer is aware that breaking free from their negative thoughts and emotions requires a conscious effort. The lyrics also suggest that the writer is aware that their thoughts are contributing to their pain and suffering, but they are unable to find clarity or guidance.
The final lines of the song "Find the path that I seek, losing my way on a path of destruction" seem to be about the struggle to find a way out of one's own negative thoughts and emotions. The singer is seeking release from their pain but feels lost and unsure.
Line by Line Meaning
Testing my faith again
Questioning the validity of my beliefs, making me uncertain.
Breaking the will of man
Crushing the motivation and determination of humanity.
Deny all my saviors
Refusing help from any possible salvation.
No answers for prayers
Not receiving any response from religious appeals.
Im all alone no turning back this time
Completely isolated and unable to change the circumstances.
Trapped in a cell that denies
Confined in a space that refuses to let me out.
Oppose the rise
Against the ascent of something; resisting progress.
Acts of free thought free the mind
Acting on independent thinking helps liberate the mind.
Seek no redemption
Not searching for forgiveness or salvation.
My hates on a mission
My anger is driving me towards a goal.
Find the one way destruct inside
Discovering the path to self-destruction.
Sunshine moonlight
Describing the beauty of nature despite the darkness in the lyrics.
Stars soar in a violent sky
The stars are shining in a sky that symbolizes chaos and turbulence.
Condemning life with no meaning
Criticizing an existence that has no purpose or significance.
Fell so question the thoughts
Feeling uncertain, so questioning one's thoughts.
That imply stand arise
Examining the concepts that suggest standing up and fighting back.
Seeds of hatred boil deep inside
Intense disgust and hostility is brewing within.
My will has grown weak
My determination and aspiration have diminished.
To find the path that i seek
Trying to find the way towards my goal.
Losing my way on a path of destruction
Straying from the right path and heading towards self-ruin.
Realease me
Begging to be freed from the torment and misery.
Feel so cold
Overwhelmed by a sense of emptiness and loneliness.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN F. KILCOYNE, WAYLON REAVIS, THOMAS SCHMITZ, RICK THOMAS, DAVID JAMES FELTON, STEVE FELTON, JEFFERY L. HETRICK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind