Mushroomhead - M3 (1999)^{Release ID: 7009}

Nightmares are brutal beasts of horror that haunt your dreams and give you terrible experiences in your mind. Fortunately, I'm one of the lucky few to not remember a single dream. The only downside for me is, I wouldn't have any new fears to conquer and gain heroic strength. But I am grateful for my memories of reality. Sometimes the worst nightmares are the ones that actually come true, like for metalheads when nu metal sprang into existence much to their chagrin. However, Mushroomhead has given this metal nightmare a more expressive and elegant turn, and turned it into a pleasant dream for open-minded listeners such as myself.

Staying hot in Cleveland since forming in 1993, Mushroomhead have their experimental nu/alt-metal sound going with pieces other genres ranging from art punk to industrial metal, along with a similar live imagery to Slipknot. The band started slightly weak with their self-titled debut but were slowly building up to the top. The 3rd part of their 8-album journey so far, M3 might just be their entryway into the unbreakable streak that started with the perfect XIII! Though M3 is the last part of their independent 90s trilogy.

"Before I Die" is a wicked start to this offering. However, it doesn't beat "Solitaire/Unraveling", one of the most popular songs from the band's 90s era, and for a great reason. Jeffrey Nothing sings in clean melancholy while Jason "J Mann" Popson has his tough-guy vocals, both fitting well with the dramatic instrumentation. "The New Cult King" has some heaviness while being more melodic. The haunting "Inevitable" follows, and it starts with an audio sample snuck in from Storm of the Century, a miniseries by Stephen King, shortly after the series first aired.

"Xeroxed" has a more brutal take on Mushroomhead's style. Unfortunately, it seems a bit flat in the production compared to other songs. "The Final Act" is more melodic, partly due to Scot Edgel performing guest vocals here. Then "Conflict - The Argument Goes On" has more of the incredible vocals to flow with the keyboard atmosphere.

The impressive "Exploiting Your Weakness" is full-on primal in the riffing by J.J. Righteous and Dinner. Oh yeah, I should mention that this is the last album with that guitar duo, and JJ Righteous passed away in 2010. RIP... The aptly titled "Beauteous" is filled entirely with beautiful somber piano. "Born of Desire" is a great heavy ending to the main album. But then there's 12 minutes of silence followed by a hidden track "Dark and Evil Joe", a humorous prank call argument over the true meaning of "black" metal.

Despite that hidden track and the production in one of the songs, M3 is a stunning album that long-time Mushroomhead fans should get. And I would also recommend this to anyone coming across this band for the first time. If you can get used to this blend of electronics, melody, and heaviness, you're all set. No harm, no foul!

Favorites: "Solitaire/Unraveling", "Inevitable", "Conflict - The Argument Goes On", "Exploiting Your Weakness", "Born of Desire"