Mushroomhead - A Wonderful Life (2020)^{Release ID: 24580}

The first nu metal band with gnarly masks that comes to the minds of many people is Slipknot. But for me, it's Mushroomhead. Despite not being as successful as Slipknot, Mushroomhead has been around since a couple years before Slipknot was formed, and this industrial-ish take on nu/alt-metal is more interesting to me. Their 8th album A Wonderful Life proves that the band can stay relevant after a 6-year gap and the departure on longtime members vocalist Jeffrey Hatrix and keyboardist Tom Schmitz.

As always, the industrial-ish nu/alt-metal sound is blended together with pieces of hip-hop and techno, whether separate or together. Props to the new lineup that includes new vocalists Steve Rauckhorst and Jackie LaPonza, one-off guitarist Tom Shaffner, and sampler Rick Thomas taking over on keyboards, for keeping the band alive!

"A Requiem for Tomorrow" opens with a church choir before a rollercoaster ride of a familiar yet fresh heavy sound. The attitude changes when you nicely expect it to change. "Madness Within" has Marilyn Manson-infused madness, some unusual elements to spice up the cauldron. First single "Seen It All" hints at the band taking a more accessible route than before. Not quite a surprising track, but Rauckhorst's vocal range has promising melody. No matter how repetitive it is, the catchiness still pleases me a bit. Taking the vocal spotlight in "The Heresy" is 3rd vocalist Jackie LaPonza. Next song "What a Shame" is where rapping/growling vocalist Jason Popson gets ahead of the game with his vocals. With eerie carnival-like experimentation, it's almost like "Qwerty" all over again!

Clear strings and choir appear in "Pulse" that almost make that track full-on symphonic metal. "Carry On" is a beautiful addictive highlight. It's almost entirely clean vocals here, and I like it as much as the other tracks. Great music! The band sure know how to build back up after their split from Schmitz and Hatrix. It's so riveting! I feel like this is a continuation of the dedication to the loved ones they lost that started with their previous album The Righteous and the Butterfly. Keep calm and do what that song says! Some epic doom can be heard in "The Time Has Come" before speeding up. "11th Hour" is a strange yet enjoyable track of Faith No More influences in the music and vocals.

"I am the One" has nu metal riffing performed well by Shaffner. Ballad-ish "The Flood" lets the piano flow as the song progresses. "Where the End Begins" has more of that piano and other diverse aspects everywhere in this 7-minute epic. Absolutely exciting! The choir-led finale "Confutatis" is something unexpected from the band, but it allows the standard edition to come full-circle. There are 4 bonus tracks in the special edition, but not much is interesting there, apart from the destructive "Sound of Destruction".

All in all, A Wonderful Life continues the band's strong streak. They have a new lineup and modern approach while staying true to their name and getting fans on the edge of their seats over what the future has in store. Wonderful!

Favorites: "A Requiem for Tomorrow", "Madness Within", "What a Shame", "Carry On", "The Time Has Come", "11th Hour", "Where the End Begins", "Sound of Destruction"