Review Summary: With the release of "L.D. 50", Mudvayne is undoubtedly on the road to success, appealing to metal heads all over the world. It is time for a new generation of metal.
Mudvayne was formed in 1996 in Bloomington, Illinois. Mudvayne is so unique in their play style. At the time of forming this band, and the release of "L.D. 50", no band could begin to compare. Mudvayne, in "L.D. 50" uses a fantastic lineup of sonic experimentations that add some distortions to many of the tracks that only make them better. Mudvayne uses innovative album art, as well as distinctive face paints, masks, and various body arts.
The uniqueness of this band is grouped together by many variables by simplicity. Though it may seem that the band might be over thinking their albums, they really aren’t. Each of the members has loads of talent in them, especially bassist Ryan Martinie. His unique bass playing style is unfathomable and really stands out in "L.D. 50". Each of the members has plenty of time in this rather long album, to show their audience all of what they have. "L.D. 50" employs in its style a sense of art, by metal's standards of course. However lyrically speaking, they are pretty different. Instead of angst and depression, they create on more on a basis of morals including theories, personal lives, ok, maybe a little angst, and lust. When instrumentals are presented in "L.D. 50", that’s when the jaw drops. Honestly, I think the instrumentals speak more for themselves than the lyrics do. The instrumentals in this album are too good. The guitar and the bass in this album apply such a deep and grinding sound. The technicality and heaviness make this album the masterpiece it is.
The tracks in "L.D. 50" start off pretty simple, and actually somewhat boring. But towards the middle of the album when "Nothing to Gein" comes on, the album really starts to show the true talent the band member’s posses.
The album kicks off with a sonic experimentation and some quiet with a piece called "Monolith". This track is pretty boring, and really has nothing to offer, so I usually just skip over this. The next track "Dig" is really no different than the first as far as how much I’m interested in it. "Dig" starts with actual instrumentals, some talent, but some pretty annoying vocals. The track is only about 2 minutes long. I usually just skip over this one to. The next track however, is my first REAL favorite on this album. "Internal Primates Forever" starts off with an amazing guitar riff. The whole track is so complex. There's about 6 different parts to the whole song, with so many switch-ups. The next track "-1" is another one of my favorites. The verse is so melodic, and you can hear the bass loud and clear as well, and it is just beautiful. The only thing I dislike about this track is the chorus. The loudness of it is just out of place. "Death Blooms" is actually a pretty good track. It's not one of my biggest favorites on the album, but it still has a meaningful chorus. "Golden Ratio" is a cute little bridge between the sonic ending to "Death Blooms" into "Cradle", an ok song, with a quiet verse, and a pretty substantial chorus. "Nothing to Gein" is one of my most favorite tracks on the album. This whole song, from beginning to end, is extremely catchy, and you don't really have to take this tack seriously. This track is more or less, pure fun listening for me. The next song "Mutatis Mutandis" is a pretty short but catchy electronic instrumental scheme. It's just another bridge into the next real track. "Everything and Nothing" has a pretty good melodic intro and verse, but the vocals are a little rough, a pretty good combination that Mudvayne is good at performing. "Severed" starts off with a scratchy guitar riff, then once again, you can hear the phenomenal bass carry off into the verse. The vocals are a constant change from slow and melodic, deep throated, screaming. This is another one of my personal favorites. "Recombinant Resurgence" is another short bridge that carries you into "Prod". "Prod" starts with a single repeating guitar riff, and beautiful vocals. The chorus however is pretty loud, but it doesn’t really matter, it still finds some way to make it all fit together. "Pharmaecopia" has the greatest intro on the album. The vocals in this track are pretty loud, real typical heavy metal style in here. The song however tends to clean itself up later in the song. "Under My Skin" is really not an important track and I usually just skip it. There are however some pretty good instrumentals in this track, but the vocals are just nothing too special. "(K)now F(orever) is the single best track on the album. Not to mention the longest. This song has so many parts in here, constantly switching from quite, to loud, to melodic, to rage. The instrumentals are superb. It's a pure masterpiece all the way through. The final track "Lethal Dosage" is the closer for the album, just more soft instrumentals, applying that sonic experimentation that Mudvayne is known for, putting an end to this incredible album.
Mudvayne is off to a fantastic start in their career. They have definitely outdone most other bands in the metal industry at this time. Their uniqueness, and simplicity, and just plain skill, makes it so that anyone can enjoy this album. There are so many aspects to this album, that everyone who enjoys any genre of metal will be able to find their place in 'L.D. 50".
