What churns things out faster than Parkay? Answer: Mudvayne. Just a year after their last effort, Peoria’s finest are back with their newest self-titled album. With special black light packaging, the disc will drop just in time for Christmas, so you know the hype machine is in full force. But will Mudvayne fill my stocking with something other than a lump of coal?

“Beautiful and Strange” and “1000 Mile Journey” open the album up pretty nicely. Instantly you are hit with brutal double bass, blast beats and guitar licks at ramming speed. Mudvayne then settle into the more comfortable, mid-paced grooves they are so well known for. The licks are precise for both guitars and bass while the drum work is phenomenal. Vocally, the songs incorporates both solid screaming, as well as really nice singing. The choruses are big and melodic – a perfect combination for commercial radio. Really solid tracks to get the album up n’ rollin’.

“Scream With Me” sees Mudvayne take a more straightforward approach to songwriting. The clean southern groove immediately grabs your attention while Gray and company follow suit with excellence. The track is a mix of HellYeah’s swagger and Mudvayne’s eclectic sound put together. Another great song that could definitely destroy some airwaves.

Two tracks that totally grabbed me were “Closer” and “Heard It All Before.” The bouncy guitars are layered perfectly with the funky bass and thunderous drums. What I found interesting were the almost Saigon Kick-style harmonies that Mudvayne incorporate into the song. They totally sound like a blast from the past. Interesting, yet very cool at the same time. What can I say about “Heard It All Before” other than it’s total annihilation? From the creepy guitar intro, you are drawn closer just to be beaten, bruised and violated. With the cool grooves and off-time tempos, think “Walk” by Pantera, Mudvayne style. And the choruses are absolutely sick…trust me!

There were a few tracks that sounded like rehashed parts and forced pieces. “Beyond The Pale” has an interesting “space funk” intro that seems totally out of place once the song finally kicks in. It felt forced and wasn’t transitioned well at all. The song does have a pretty sick groove, but honestly, it sounds like a few other songs on the album. As Yogi Berra said, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.” “All Talk” has an incredible verse that is territory Mudvayne has never covered. But the choruses seem thrown together with their wonky pacing.

I do have to take a second and say that “Out To Pasture” should’ve found a waste basket somewhere. What were Mudvayne thinking putting this on the cd? From the System Of A Down opening to the horrible, slow, distorted mess of a chorus, the song is monotonous, boring and full of absolutely nothing redeeming at all. What a waste of five minutes. YACK!

The album ends with the song “Dead Inside.” Honestly, I cannot stand when bands end their album on an acoustic track, but, I have to say, this is probably one of Mudvayne’s best in their career. From beginning to end, it’s an amazing track that should be listened to multiple times.

All in all, Mudvayne is an album that has some great singles, but it’s loaded with filler as well. The album starts off with full force and precision, just to fall flat (minus “Dead Inside”) near the end. I’m sure Mudvayne will grab some new fans with this disc, but might end up losing a few as well.

3.5/5