When
Mushroomhead
signed with
Universal
in 2001, fans' reactions ranged from elation to knee-jerk pessimism. Some followers were thrilled that Cleveland's best-kept
alternative metal
secret had hooked up with a major label and hoped that the headbangers would finally receive the sort of national success they deserved; pessimists feared that a corporate powerhouse like
would neuter
and try to take away their risk-taking spirit. On a creative level,
XIII
is the first album that really tests
's relationship with
; it's the first album they actually recorded for
, whereas their previous album,
XX
, was originally an indie release before
remastered and re-released it. As it turns out, the pessimists had nothing to worry about;
is no less adventurous than
's pre-
output.
sounds quite focused but never comes across as contrived, and longtime followers will be happy to know that this 2003 release is state-of-the-art
-- forceful, loud, and in your face, but melodic and intricate as well. Bombast is still an important part of the picture, although not at the expense of musicality. And true to form,
continues to find inspiration in a variety of music.
Metal
remains the foundation -- they're an
alt-metal
band first and foremost -- but
punk
,
rap
industrial
techno
, and
goth
are still effective, tastefully applied ingredients.
has inspired a variety of interesting comparisons; reviewers have mentioned everyone from
Marilyn Manson
to
Evanescence
Slipknot
and
Sevendust
when describing
. But truth be told,
had a distinctive, recognizable sound (and a devoted cult following in Cleveland) long before
, or
broke through commercially -- and it would be a huge mistake to think that
is actually trying to emulate any other artists.
is the work of metalheads who have never been afraid to be original -- a band that, creatively, doesn't lose a thing on this
disc. ~ Alex Henderson