Mushroomhead - Call the Devil

Angry Metal Guy 20

The problem with nu-metal is that the aesthetics overpower the music. Taking the machismo of rap and combining it with metal’s most knuckle-dragging moments, its “hard as fuck” image has combined with adrenaline and testosterone in some sort of raging divorced dad Frankenstein’s monster with Red Bull in hand. While the likes of Powerman 5000 or Static-X have toyed with its mania in a silly vibe, others have embraced the style’s over-the-top aesthetic. Cleveland’s Mushroomhead,¹ in line with the “dark” theatrics and special effects of Slipknot, Mudvayne, or Insane Clown Posse, has juiced this style dry with even more over-the-top themes and costumes, amplified by industrial, symphonic, and more straightforward hip-hop influences. After nearly thirty years and eight full-lengths of excessive self-indulgence guided by the oh so twisted mind of Steve “Skinny” Felton, we’re faced with Call the Devil.

For Mushroomhead, Call the Devil follows the recent trend of the much-needed incorporation of newer vocalist Jackie LaPonza to compensate for utter lack of charisma. Vocalists Steve Rauckhurst and Scott “xtriker” Beck trade grungy cleans, growls, and raps, while guitarists, bassists, and percussionists are tossed around like a swarm of attacking bees to round out the lineup to a whopping nine members. Groove remains a nu-metal priority throughout and Call the Devil benefits from LaPonza’s more pronounced presence. However, the glaringly inconsistent palettes of over-the-top, largely failed experimentation with the more straightforward and direly boring metal riffs lands Mushroomhead in one of the more bafflingly obnoxious and misguidedly ambitious listens of the year.

Mushroomhead’s best moments are rooted in two things: rad groove and LaPonza’s vocals. “We Don’t Care” is likely the closest union, with its pulsing guitar riffs touched by southern rock colliding with her hypnotic and sultry verses. Meanwhile, opener “Eye to Eye,” “Torn in Two,” and “Hallelucination” feature a nice groove that hits hard for a little while. “Fall in Line,” “Hallelucination,” “Hideous,” and “Shame in a Basket” are solid if not tragically limited exposés on LaPonza’s vocals, her range showcased from a sirenic and haunting mezzo-soprano to a smoky and femme fatale alto. However, as solid as these isolated moments are, they are surrounded by a deep sea of testosterone and a Vaudeville carnival theme so over the top, that it would make Avatar blush. The fanfare surrounding LaPonza’s vocals in “We Don’t Care,” for instance, quickly dissipates due to Rauckhurst and Beck doing their best worst impressions of Five Finger Death Punch’s Ivan Moody. Even the riffs in Call the Devil’s solid moments, although initially a welcome jolt of energy and pummel, begin to feel anticlimactic and limp after so many iterations and lack of variation. All attacks are done through a solid mix, provided by Matt Wallace (Faith No More, 3 Doors Down), so the guitars have a solid crunch, the drums are aptly pummeling, and the melodic elements shine across. It’s just a bummer that the attacks are toothless.

Perhaps most baffling about Call the Devil is Mushroomhead’s inability to keep a consistent sound, particularly when it benefits them to do so. LaPonza is a rare beam of light but is used far too sparingly, often disappearing entire. The band’s riffs get tired over so many dad-rock repetitions, while Rauckhurst and Beck are indistinguishable and as dangerous as a sub sandwich at a Baptist potluck. Tracks like “Emptiness” and “Grand Gesture” try to take on the heavy ballad approach but end up bland, and the full immersion of the spooky carnival music sees tracks like “UIOP (The Final Reprieve),” “Decomposition,” and “Prepackaged” fall into just a weird muck. Like Slipknot, Mushroomhead features a veritable legion of members, but aside from the industrial atmosphere and Vaudeville vibes, what exactly are the nine musicians doing at any given moment? They have a bevy of potential talent, but choose to waste it on an excessive version nu-metal, one that furthermore hasn’t changed much since the ’90s in spite of every opportunity to do so.

Mushroomhead tried really hard with Call the Devil. They’ve got a seed of hope in LaPonza and some killer riffs, but if Skinny and Company haven’t tried anything new aside from batshit unnecessariness since ’93, this review won’t change any minds. It’s self-indulgent, painfully pretentious, and its hour length feels like being dragged through broken glass at a carnival devoted to masculinity. Slipknot has long been accused of stealing Mushroomhead’s look, but when that’s more important than creating quality music, there’s a problem. Yeah, call the Devil, Mushroomhead – he’ll make a better album than this.



Rating: 1.0/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: STREAM
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: mushroomhead.com | facebook.com/mushroomheadofficial
Releases Worldwide: August 9th, 2024

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