Cleveland, Ohio natives Mushroomhead kicked off their tour in London last week, bringing their signature industrial-infused brand of metal to the European masses. Over the years, I’ve been a bit of a casual fan of the band since someone gave me a copy of Xx back in 2001. This is a beast of a album, and although the band was constantly being compared to fellow midwest metallers Slipknot, I didn’t really get it. Sure, they wore masks and played in a similar ballpark genre-wise, but it was way too easy to dismiss them as simply copycats. With all the hype surrounding Slipknot, I actually thought Mushroomhead was the more interesting band. After seeing them live, I’m convinced.
They are certainly more accessible and arguably more creative in terms of the mashup of styles that they bring together. Some might say it’s a bit too commercial with their latest endeavor, but who really fucking cares? So was Static X, and they were able to keep their metal cred by crossing over (OK, not the best example, but you get it). Fast forward twenty years, several revolving members, five studio records, a major label stint, I finally get to see the band live. The chaos, the rabid fans, the mystique—it was all about to explode into the twisted metal circus that came to town.
In support of their 2020 album, It’s a Wonderful Life the tour is being called the best lineup and best album since their peak with XIII nearly two decades ago. This is a massive leap forward for the band in terms of production, songwriting, and experimentation. Seventeen songs clocking in at 71 minutes with an overarching Faith No More vibe happening across several songs and a progressive metal feel to a few others, it’s rounded out with some massively heavy grooves and classic Mushroomhead chunky guitar breaks. There is something for everyone here.
As you can see from the photos, these guys put on one hell of a theatrical performance. The water drums not only look cool, but they add a significant boom and a tribal war dance beat to the music. Add to that two vocalists who were in the crowd or stage diving more than they were actually on stage, and you have the makings for a metal circus of sorts. While the venue wasn’t sold out, it was packed with insanely dedicated fans that seemed to celebrate the newer songs equally with the older material. I thought these guys were fucking great. So much so that I stayed for the entire show hoping to hear more songs from the latest record.
Mushroomhead continues their European tour and you can find all the dates here. If you need a reminder of what this band sounds like at the top of their game, give A Wonderful Life a listen on vinyl and crank it up.
