XIII

Well, I won't say too much about this album as most of your probably saw "Nu Metal" in the description field and did one of two things: 1) Assumed that is sucks because it is Nu Metal or 2) Saw that it is Nu Metal and skipped the review completely to post a message. Okay, I normally don't encourage assuming and jumping to conclusions, but for those of you who acted out option #1 above, you are correct. This album sucks… Big time. It appears to me that Mushroomhead are trying to cash in on an image / gimmick because they simply lack musical or songwriting skill. The costume idea (that the band accuses Slipknot of stealing) and the teenage angst ridden lyrics might appeal to some mall core drones out there, but there is no salvaging this music. The guitars are hopelessly stuck in the same monotonous chord progressions that I wonder if I am hearing the same awful song over and over again. No, I'm not… the guitars are simply uninspired, basic, and utterly boring and downtuned much too far. Not only has Mushroomhead come up with one bad singer, they have two! The first is shouting and screaming throughout the record, letting his teenage angst fly free. The other has a whiny, "my life sucks and so does the world" delivery. The guy has absolutely no range, no style, and adds no value to the music. Same assessment for the other guy that does all the hollering and screaming: bad "singer," but I guess he's trying to give the songs some sort of "tough guy" image…. Lame. Ah, the drum work. Want to make AC / DC drum beats sound like Rush or Dream Theater? Listen to the basic fills and lackluster beats on XIII and you might just accomplish that. There is absolutely no energy or creativity coming from behind the drum kit. To further "enhance" your listening experience, there is actually a DJ in Mushroomhead's lineup that is busy with his scratch record throughout the album. In most spots, it seems like it is added randomly. At best, this element is a laughable annoyance. But after a few listens, it is nothing short of intolerable. If you're still reading this review, it should be fairly obvious that this album holds no redeeming value for most readers of this site. If a "tough guy" image backed up by some costumes and music that lacks any substance, skill, or creativity, then by all means check this album out. Otherwise, skip this album and rest assured that you've missed absolutely nothing.