Unitron Mushroomhead's always been one of the most interesting bands in my opinion, there's really no other band quite like them. You can hear where their influences may have come from, but they craft their music in such a way that I've never quite heard before.

A clear point of reference is Faith No More, particularly Angel Dust. The orchestral and keyboard based atmosphere, as well as the vocals bring it to mind. Unlike the transitional album Angel Dust though, Mushroomhead has a much better focus on how exactly they want to sound. There's no awkward deviations, even with the varied range of sounds they have on display. The two vocalists work really well together, the clean vocals sounding like Mike Patton mixed with James LaBrie of Dream Theater if he didn't kill his voice after Awake, while the gruff vocals in a Matt Holt of Nothingface style compliment them well.

Mushroomhead may be the best atmospheric metal band, as they just wrap the listener in this ominous and haunting sound. This is mostly done with the great electro-orchestral and piano work, but it combined with the vocal performances and the rest of the instruments strengthens it. Take the stabbing piano in Chance Sore, the fantastic cover of Pink Floyd's Empty Spaces, or the Kraftwerkian orchestral backing of These Filthy Hands and Born of Desire that sound right out of Trans Europe Express, it's all so good. The best part is that they don't sacrifice any heaviness, and have everything work perfectly together.

One of the most underrated metal bands out there, and one of the best at having a varied approach while knowing exactly how to put all the pieces together.

Unitron Mushroomhead - XIII

'XIII' is the fifth studio album by alternative metal band Mushroomhead. Mushroomhead is, in my eyes, one of the best examples of a misunderstood band. They are often unfairly compared to Slipknot simply for their similar stage appearance. However, not once during my listening did I think of Slipknot.

The music heard here sounds more in line with bands like Faith No More than Slipknot. In fact, the bands that came to mind for me were Faith No More and Dream Theater. 'Mother Machine Gun' is probably my favorite on the album, which I think gives a perfect idea of the sound. You have crushing riffs and harsh vocals. It all balances out though with melodic vocals that remind me of a mix of James LaBrie and Mike Patton. To top off the influences, there's some nice piano work and an atmosphere that sounds like it came right out of 'Angel Dust'. The way the songs are set up with the atmospheric keyboards and electronics in the background, the harsh vocals kind of sound Faith No More-like when Faith No More were at their more aggressive. Opener 'Kill Tomorrow' is another favorite, having the similar balance of styles but with some nice speeding riffs.

The description above pretty much describes the majority of the album. There are a few slower power-ballad type songs, but most follow the same balanced sound of 'Mother Machine Gun'. While the album is repetitive, the majority of the songs are strong enough to not be a boring repetition. I certainly recommend this album to any fans of Faith No More. Hope you found this review helpful.

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Kingcrimsonprog The Righteous & The Butterfly, from 2014, is the Cleveland Ohio Heavy Metal band Mushroomhead’s seventh full-length studio album, and their fifth album since coming to international attention with their breakthrough XX compilation album, a decade and a half ago.

Twenty years since forming the band, Mushroomhead show no decline in quality or consistency, as the ever-underrated and misjudged band continue perfecting their unique musical vision regardless of changes in the musical landscape or the band’s line-up over the years. People in-the-know have justifiably formed a dedicated cult audience for the X-faced band. For this review I won’t waste time trying to convince skeptics of the band’s value, but will instead focus towards those who already like Mushroomhead.

Prior to this record there was quite a big line-up shift, but you can hardly tell as the band barely miss a beat.In fact, this album is probably the most that the band have ever sounded alike between two studio albums, so if you liked their previous album, 2010’s excellent Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children, then this will undoubtedly be to your tastes. The similar mixture of creepy Faith No More atmosphere, simplistic catchy Pantera riffs, fat grooves, speedy double-kick sections, sparing use of female vocals and clean piano, and an increasing distance from anything Industrial that all characterized their previous album is here as well, in more or less the same ratio, to an equally high standard. There’s also an increasing amount of lead guitar and a lot less rapping than back in the early days.

Don’t feel like the lack of radical stylistic departure signals stagnation though, because that is far from the case. The quality of the material here is unquestionably high. The melodic vocals are getting even more talented. The songwriting is as memorable as ever. The production is crisp, clean and satisfyingly beefy. Its yet another very strong album of the band doing what they do best, what more could you ask for?

The album is full of fun, bouncy, bangers like “Out Of My Mind,” “Our Apologies,” and “This Cold Reign” balanced by meaty mid paced groove like “How Many Times,” “We Are The Truth” and “Worlds Collide.” The variety comes from the slower moments like “Portraits Of The Poor,” “Childlike” and “Graveyard De Jour.” Perhaps the best track is “For Your Pleasure” that combines all those aspects as it builds from slow piano to metallic groove to speedy headbanger with passionate vocals.

There are some surprises too, such as an unexpected novelty cover song of British Pop singer Adele’s “Rumour Has It” and then there’s “Son Of 7” and the aforementioned “Worlds Collide” which have sections that feel strangely reminiscent of fellow Cleveland Ohio Metal band Chimaira.

Overall; if you are into this band then you should pick this album up for sure. Everything the band do well is done well yet again, and a new set of strong, enjoyable and memorable tracks are presented here, equaling anything else in the discography so far. There’s plenty here that would stand up to the best of anything else in the live setlist. The band are on fire and just keep the quality coming. Credit where credit is due, these are some talented guys who know how to write catchy, interesting tunes. If you are a lapsed fan, this could be a great album to pick up and find out what you’ve been missing out on lately.

Kingcrimsonprog 5.0 out of 5 stars Mushroomhead - Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children, 12 Aug 2012 This review is from: Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children (Audio CD) Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children is either the seventh, fourth or third album by the criminally underrated band Mushroomhead, depending on your views on record contracts and compilations. It is their second album with Waylon Reavis in one of the band's two lead vocalist positions. Since its release in 2010, the band have lost Pig Benis, Gravy and Lil Dan, who all appear on the album, as members.

Despite still containing large chunks of influence from Alternative and Industrial music; Beautiful Stories' is arguably their most straight forwardly Metal release to date; with a lot more double-kicks, chugging and up-tempo tracks than on their previous albums. At times, there is even a very clear Zack Wylde/Dimebag Darrell feel present in the tails to the riffs and there is a hell of a lot more lead guitar than on any previous Mushroomhead release.

Furthermore, there are also a lot less of the dark and creepy moments from the band's early work to be found here. There is nothing like `Chancre Sore' or `The Wrist' on the album for example, which may in fairness be a bit disappointing for certain fans, but the album definitely does make up for ignoring one aspect of the band's sound with its consistency and the excellent, memorable songwriting.

Right from the beginning, the album is charged and exciting, kicking off with the very fun opening track `Come On' which pretty much sums up the entire new focus in direction in one track.

The next four tracks are all excellent, very much following in that same direction, but with enough variety each for the album not to sound homogenous, then from that point on the album lets a lot of variety sink in. There are still touches of Faith No More's influence present in the vocal patterns and choice of keyboard sounds, but you'll also get a really Tony Iommi sounding riff here, a bit that could fit on a Chimaira record here or even a vaguely Ministry-esque drumbeat there too.

When this is focused yet varied musical direction is combined with the hugely improved production job and mix (courtesy of their drummer Steve `Skinny' Felton) over the last record, and the fact of Waylon's voice being an established part of the band already this time around, this is a very impressive and instantly enjoyable record, arguably even their best to date. If you have anything more than a casual interest in the band, this is definitely not an album to skip.

Highlights include the faster, heavier tracks like `Come On,' `Darker Days' and `Burn The Bridge,' as well as the interesting percussion-based `Harvest The Garden' and the proggy `Holes In The Void' which sounds like an even more intense reworking of their cover of Pink Floyd's `Empty Spaces.'

That being said however, there is not a single track here that is forgettable, weak or out of place; it is a remarkably consistent album and the kind where you can have a new favourite track on every listen.

The songs are all big, the riffs are all satisfying and there are lead guitar breaks going off left, right and center. The combination of this direction and the existing styles of vocals, keyboards and electronics from the `Xii' album in particular, results in a brilliant and utterly enjoyable record.

Overall; for a fan of the band, this album is an absolute must-have. It may take a few listens to come around to if you primarily like the band through the filter of a more Industrial or Alternative fanship but will likely become your favourite Mushroomhead album if you listen to it through the filter of a more Metal fanship.