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
The Time Has Come
Mushroomhead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Revealed directive
Time has come, from king and queen to pawn
Concealed objective
Time has come, march to the gates of dawn
Initiate the end inside
I see through your masquerade
Your fate lies in waste
And decays
Your faith decays
All along, the pyres of the dead were burning
Time has gone, doomed to relive the past
Repeat obsession
Unknown sons pray to their predators
Reclaimed possession
Lost empires sing the chorus of their devastation
We're gonna need that evac asap
Need that bring that beat back
Messiahs, liars and dignitaries
All things move toward their end
Dictators, traitors and adversaries
All things move toward their end
Walking toward tomorrow, torn by sorrow, blind to light
Empires in fire, forever disgraced
Desires expired, condemned to this plague
Broken, torn and hollow mourn tomorrow's endless fight
Time will tell as it always prevails
Detailing all our faults, our flaws, false starts and fails
Nurtured, Perverted, Undone
Time has come, initiate the end
The end inside
The lyrics of Mushroomhead's song "The Time Has Come" showcase the impact of time on existence. The theme of "time" is mentioned constantly throughout the song. The opening lines are "Time has come, the battle lines are drawn." This line represents a war that is about to begin; it could signify something that wasn't solved before and now requires a decisive end. The following line, "Revealed directive," alludes that the reason behind the war will be illuminated. Moving on, the line, "From king and queen to pawn Concealed objective," refers to the hidden intention of the people in control, how they choose to play with the lives of their subjects like a game. The next line, "Time has come, march to the gates of dawn, initiate the end inside," displays the urgency of the situation and how this end has been in existence for a long time.
The chorus talks about how a person sees through someone's intentions, their mask or front. "A charlatan all charade" represents someone who is fake, a liar. "Your fate lies in waste and decays, your faith decays," portrays how every person has to face their downfall one day. The next part, "All along, pyres of the dead were burning," could signify the destruction that the war has caused. "Doomed to relive the past, repeat obsession," signifies how humankind often makes the same mistakes again and again. "Unknown sons pray to their predators, reclaimed possession," showcases how the descendants of the oppressed are bowing down to their oppressors, and how this time they'd use reclaimed possession. The last part of the chorus talks about "lost empires singing the chorus of their devastation," indicating how the once great kingdoms or dynasties now mourn their end.
One of the vital aspects of Mushroomhead's song "The Time Has Come" is how it speaks about the human condition. The song represents an end to something, a decisive conclusion to what has always been happening. The lyrics are beautifully written to signify how everyone, be it a king, queen, or pawn, has to face the same fate. The game that the powerful are playing will soon come to a halt when everything is destroyed. The voice of the singer is also aggressively reflecting the urgency of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Time has come, the battle lines are drawn
The plan is starting to unfold, and everyone knows where they stand.
Time has come, from king and queen to pawn
Even those who were once in power are now at risk of being taken down.
Time has come, march to the gates of dawn
The final battle is about to start, and there's no going back.
I see through your masquerade
I know what you're really up to, and you won't get away with it.
A charlatan all charade
You're a fraud, pretending to be something you're not.
Your fate lies in waste
Your future is bleak, and you have no one to blame but yourself.
And decays
You're not getting better, and your situation is only going to get worse.
Your faith decays
Even your beliefs are falling apart, and you have nothing left to hold on to.
All along, the pyres of the dead were burning
As all this was happening, the world was slowly crumbling around them.
Time has gone, doomed to relive the past
Despite everything, they keep making the same mistakes over and over again.
Repeat obsession
They can't let go of what's already happened, no matter how much they want to.
Unknown sons pray to their predators
People are turning to those who are only going to hurt them more.
Reclaimed possession
But there's still time to take back what's rightfully theirs.
Lost empires sing the chorus of their devastation
Even the most powerful and successful societies have no hope of avoiding destruction.
We're gonna need that evac asap
Things are getting bad, and we need to evacuate as soon as possible.
Need that bring that beat back
We need to focus on what's important and stay motivated.
Messiahs, liars and dignitaries
All kinds of people are vying for power, from those who genuinely want to help to those who will stop at nothing to win.
All things move toward their end
No matter what happens, everything is slowly coming to a close.
Dictators, traitors and adversaries
The people in power are not to be trusted, and they will do whatever it takes to stay there.
Walking toward tomorrow, torn by sorrow, blind to light
The future looks bleak, and it's hard to see any hope or positivity anywhere.
Empires in fire, forever disgraced
Even the strongest nations are being destroyed, and their reputations are being tarnished for good.
Desires expired, condemned to this plague
Everyone's dreams and goals have disappeared, leaving them with nothing but suffering.
Broken, torn and hollow mourn tomorrow's endless fight
Despite everything, they continue to try and fight for a better tomorrow, even if it seems impossible.
Time will tell as it always prevails
The future is unpredictable, but it will eventually become clear what's going to happen.
Detailing all our faults, our flaws, false starts and fails
When all is said and done, we'll be able to look back and see where things went wrong - and hopefully learn from our mistakes.
Nurtured, Perverted, Undone
Everything that was once taken care of has been twisted and destroyed to an irreversible degree.
Time has come, initiate the end
The final stage of this long, drawn-out process is starting, and there's no stopping it now.
The end inside
The outcome is already decided, and it's not a good one.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jason Popson, Ryan Farrell, Stephen Rauckhorst, Steve Felton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind