Peoria’s Math Metal finest, Mudvayne, reunited last year after a 12-year hiatus, and their stop in Bristow, VA, on the Freaks On Parade tour with Rob Zombie is the band’s first national tour since 2009.
Mudvayne – Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VA
Words and Photography: Mike Sprouse
With a stage backed with red vertical flags reminiscent of a dystopian dictator’s iconography, frontman Chad Gray launched Mudvayne’s set by roaring into Dig.
Dig was followed by the harrowing drug addiction paean, Internal Primates Forever, and then the song -1, with its ruminations on existentialism and the meaninglessness of existence.
Throughout the set, bassist Ryan Martinie would go up on the drum riser to lurk and stare creepily at drummer Matthew McDonough while the latter pounded away energetically at the skins.
Another LD50 track was the eerie Death Blooms with its tale of a dying body and the trapped soul crying for release. In fact, the set’s first six songs were from Mudvayne’s debut album, LD 50.
Guitarist Greg Tribbett’s fleet fingers on the tracks Determined, from the third album, Lost And Found, and Not Falling, from Mudvayne’s second album, The End Of All Things to Come, punched the middle of the set.
During the show, Chad, sporting a blue Mohawk, repeatedly spent time leaning out into the audience while singing, and the fans were eagerly holding him up, happy to get close to the singer.
Up next was Nothing to Gein, about Wisconsin killer and grave robber Ed Gein, the notorious inspiration for cinema’s demented killers Norman Bates, Leatherface and Buffalo Bill.
The songs Dull Boy and World So Cold got the crowd jumping, and then the band ended their 12-song set with Happy?
The nu-metal giants were impressive, captivating and well-loved by the Bristow crowd. Here’s hoping it won’t be another 12 years between tours.
Setlist
Dig
Internal Primates Forever
-1
Under My Skin
Severed
Death Blooms
Determined
Not Falling
Nothing to Gein
Dull Boy
World So Cold
Happy?
Formed in 1996, Mudvayne is Chad Gray (vocals), Greg Tribbett (guitar, backing vocals), Matthew McDonough (drums, synthesizer) and Ryan Martinie (bass).
Mudvayne has sold over six million records worldwide, with three of their albums earning Gold.