It’s a Whole New Game
By Craig Lindberg

Few bands are as enigmatic as Mudvayne. This heavy quartet from Peoria, IL, has amassed a large underground following during its ten plus years in existence, but has never truly achieved mainstream success.

Fans of the band know the singles “World So Cold,” “Not Falling,” and of course the MTV2 award winning “Dig” from the band’s first major label release in 2000, “LD50.” Still, even with substantial mainstream radio play and extensive touring, Mudvayne’s popularity seemed destined to stay underground with those devoted and longtime core fans.

“We don’t write songs to get on the radio,” says Chad Gray, eccentric frontman and founder of Mudvayne. “We write songs for us, we are the ones that have to play these songs everyday, it’s important that they mean something to us. If someone else digs what we love, then that’s what it’s all about.”

The 2005 release of the band’s third studio recording, “Lost and Found,” brought Mudvayne a little further into the spotlight. The album received critical acclaim and “Happy,” the first single, received much-deserved acceptance from the mainstream metal audience, earning Mudvayne a spot on the main stage for the 2005 Ozzfest tour. “That was a big tour for us,” recalls Chad. “We played big shows before, but this seemed to be different, like a coming out, or more a coming home.”

After Ozzfest and their own headlining tour, rumors began to swirl. The success of “Hell Yeah,” the metal monster side project that featured Chad and guitarist Greg Tribbett of Mudvayne, seemed to achieve the success that had eluded Mudvayne and began to cause fans to question the future of the band. “There was never a doubt that Mudvayne would continue,” states Chad emphatically. “We [Mudvayne] have been doing this for so long, it’s like slipping on an old, comfortable shoe. I know what Greg is going to play and he knows exactly which vocal line will sound best for that particular song we are writing. We can read each other and everyone knows it’s all about the music, it’s a brotherhood, that’s something you don’t just walk away from.” Chad continues with, “’Hell Yeah’ is a great time, but it’s not Mudvayne.”

Amidst the rumors, Mudvayne released “By the People, for the People” in 2007, a collection of live tracks and B-sides, narrated by Chad. The release seemed to be a statement by the band that they were not going away. Featuring one new track, “Dull Boy,” and a blistering cover of “King of Pain” from The Police, Mudvayne’s message was heard loud and clear. The album debuted at #51 on the Billboard charts, selling over 22,000 copies in its first week ~ a huge success for a compilation CD released by a less-than-mainstream metal band.

Mudvayne now appears poised on the brink of mainstream commercial success. The band’s fifth studio album, “The New Game,” drops November 17th. “Do What You Do,” the first single, has received massive commercial airplay and is in heavy rotation on many major market radio stations. This song marks a departure, of sorts, for the band: “Yeah, a lot of people have been describing the song as soft or slower,” explains Chad. “The song isn’t slow, it just a very catchy riff, but still very heavy. It wouldn’t be Mudvayne if it wasn’t.”

Mudvayne brings “The New Game” tour to The Palladium in Worcester on Saturday, December 13th with special guests 10 Years and Snot. Tickets are on sale now on-line or at The Palladium box office.