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 War Is Over
Mushroomhead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The blame placed on my shoulders
Weight I will carry all the way to my grave
I cannot be saved abandoned is my faith
Awaken now the dream is over
Daylight breaks on a broken home (disconnect)
Stakes are high and the temple's gone (resurrect)
Overcome this overload (restrain)
Pain
Remains
This pain
Remains
Betrayed by my soul
The blame placed on my shoulders
Weight I will carry all the way until I'm
Broken down and I'm on the run (defense)
From myself and the damage done (prevent)
Future falls and past mistakes (avoid)
Conflict calls and complicates (destroyed)
Pain
Remains
This pain
Remains
Rise up from the ashes rethink my beliefs
The world rusts on it's axis
As my heart pleads for relief
Needs relief
Betrayed by my soul
The blame placed on my shoulders
Weight I will carry all the way until the
Daylight breaks on a broken home (disconnect)
Stakes are high and the temple's gone (resurrect)
Rebuild this structure stone by stone (reinstate)
Overcome this overload (restrain)
Pain
Remains
This pain
Remains
Betrayed by my soul
The blame placed on my shoulders
Weight I will carry all the way to my grave
I cannot be saved abandoned is my faith
Awaken now the dream is over
Betrayed by my soul
The blame placed on my shoulders
Weight I will carry all the way to my grave
I cannot be saved abandoned is my faith
Awaken now the dream is over
The lyrics to Mushroomhead's song The Dream Is Over paint a picture of despair and the aftermath of betrayal. The opening lines, "Betrayed by my soul, the blame placed on my shoulders" indicate that the singer is wrestling with a sense of guilt and responsibility for some kind of failure or mistake. The weight of that guilt is something they feel they will carry "all the way to [their] grave."
The chorus, "Pain remains, this pain remains," reinforces the idea that the betrayal they've experienced is something that will continue to haunt them. The second verse elaborates on the situation, describing a "broken home," high stakes, and the need to rebuild from scratch. The following lines, "I'm on the run from myself and the damage done," paint a picture of someone who is struggling to come to terms with the consequences of their actions.
The final lines of the song, "Betrayed by my soul, the blame placed on my shoulders, weight I will carry all the way to my grave, I cannot be saved abandoned is my faith, awaken now the dream is over," bring the song full circle. The singer's sense of despair and hopelessness is overwhelming, and they cannot see a way out. The dream they had for their life is over, and there is no getting it back.
Line by Line Meaning
Betrayed by my soul
Feeling let down by my own emotions
The blame placed on my shoulders
Holding myself accountable for my mistakes
Weight I will carry all the way to my grave
Burdens that will haunt me until the end
I cannot be saved abandoned is my faith
Losing hope and losing my beliefs
Awaken now the dream is over
Realizing that my aspirations were only illusions
Daylight breaks on a broken home (disconnect)
The harsh reality of a fractured relationship
Stakes are high and the temple's gone (resurrect)
The importance of rebuilding what's been lost
Rebuild this structure stone by stone (reinstate)
Slowly and carefully repairing what was broken
Overcome this overload (restrain)
Winning over my internal struggles
Pain
Hurt and suffering
Remains
Still present, never completely gone
This pain
The agony I feel
Broken down and I'm on the run (defense)
Fleeing from my own demons
From myself and the damage done (prevent)
Trying to prevent myself from causing more harm
Future falls and past mistakes (avoid)
Trying to navigate past errors and ensuring a better tomorrow
Conflict calls and complicates (destroyed)
Strife arising and making things more difficult
Rise up from the ashes rethink my beliefs
Starting afresh with a new perspective
The world rusts on its axis
The world is in a state of turmoil
As my heart pleads for relief
My emotions cry out for comfort
Needs relief
Craving for peace and tranquility
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVE J. FELTON, STEVE R. FELTON, JEFF L. HETRICK, JOHN KILCOYNE, JASON J. POPSON, THOMAS MICHAEL SCHMITZ, RICHARD PEARSON THOMAS, MARKO VUKCEVICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind