After a rather disappointing album in Savior Sorrow (following the departure of original vocalist J. Mann), it seems Mushroomhead have decided to go back to their original formula. On Savior Sorrow it seemed the majority of guitar parts were simply two or three chords riffs and never really went anywhere. While those same two to three-chord riffs are still present on Beautiful Stories the cool intricate licks have returned and while they only have one guitar player, a couple of solos have been thrown into the mix too. The new album starts with lead single "Come On" which is a rip-roaring track typical of Mushroomhead full of sludgy downtuned guitars and dual vocal work from Jeffrey Nothing and newest vocalist Waylon Reavis. The lyrics "Do you really wanna fuck with me?" clearly define what this track is all about; Mushroomhead's childish lyrics are still ever present. Reavis actually manages to stretch his vocals range on this album. Having replaced J. Mann who was more of the growler of the group, Reavis has moved from his own growls and yelling to actually singing (albeit in a raspy tone). It was rumoured for a long time that J. Mann would make a guest appearance on the album but due to unknown reasons this idea fell through. Other items fans will appreciate are the use of more keyboards and synthesizer as heard on earlier albums XX and XIII. Track "Inspiration" is the best example as it opens with a familiar sounding synth that recalls early tracks like "The New Cult King" with its build-up synthesized intros before launching into all-out distortion. In fact, this album is a lot closer to XIII in terms of sound and quality. You'll also get high-pitched remixed vocals as well as some snippets of children talking thrown in for that classic Mushroomhead sound reminding us of just how innocent a child's words can be. Sadly, Mushroomhead nowadays seem to feel the need to rely on theatrics as some of their act has become nothing but a gorefest. I don't even mean funny GWAR-like gorefest, I mean simple brutal blood and guts antics. The video for "Come On" is basically a bunch of guys beating the crap out of eachother in a UFC-style fight in an abandoned warehouse. That to me just ruins any integrity the guys had left as a serious band. They shouldn't have to rely on that for attention; the music should speak for itself. Video aside and despite the release date for this album being pushed back several times, Mushroomhead seem to have found their way back to where they want to be.
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