::Band Members:: ::Bio::
::Albums::
++Band Members++
++Skinny-Drums ~ Shmotz-Keyboards ~ J Mann-Lead vocals ~ Jeffrey Nothing-Lead
vocals++
++Pig Benis-Bassist ~ Gravy-Guitar ~ Bronson-Guitar ~ Stitch-Samples++
Mushroomheads Biography...
In the Spring of 1993, a group of musicians from Cleveland, OH came together
to form a side project called Mushroomhead. The intention was to create an
eclectic blend of extreme music combined with a vaudevillian stage show that
was bound to provoke a reaction, turn some heads and leave an impression.
From their first concert together in the fall of that year, it was obvious
that Mushroomhead would become far more than a side project. It was to become
undisputedly, Cleveland's top drawing band.
Blending sonics and attitude borrowed from metal, techno/industrial and rap,
they managed to attract a varied and demographically diverse crowd with their
thundering tribal drums digging a heavy groove, with big, snarling guitars
and keyboards filling in all the cracks with dramatic swells of sound. Taking
a cacophony of music, vocals and samples, Mushroomhead shapes it into memorable
tunes that are at once sharply satirical, broadly tongue in cheek, and infinitely
different. Described by the Cleveland Plain Dealer as "sophisticated,
juxtaposing dense, staccato, Ministry-inspired tempos with spacious melodic
passages and dark lyrics that don't merely rely on repeated swear words,"
their music stands on its own, but to fully appreciate Mushroomhead, they
have to be experienced live. Combining outrageous costuming with the psychotic,
exotic, neurotic and erotic, their shocking stage spectacle which always ends
with a rave set, lives up to the music. Pushing the limits of rock theater
to the max - their live show is truly an event and a multi-sensoral experience.
What gives the band more substance and lasting appeal however, is their musical
range. "Everybody fights for what they want in a song," says Skinny,
Mushroomhead founder "and pretty much everyone gets their way - that's
our strength. A song will start out sounding like metal until a cool piano
part comes in or the turntables turn it into a rap song. We all bring our
own tastes to the mix which gives the music diversity." Alternately,
it is in the costumed chaos of their writhing live performances that the band
members seem most alike and united. "When you step on stage in front
of people, you know they're there for the release. Its what we are there for
as well and we try to give our fans everything they came for and then some,"
adds frontman J Mann. It is these elements of risky and often risqué
in both their music and performance that have given Mushroomhead , a name,
a reputation and a massive, rock solid fanbase throughout the upper Midwest.
They have performed with Marilyn Manson, Type O Negative, Misfits, Anthrax,
Down, Gwar, Genitorturers, and although they are nothing like them. They headlined
the 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 Cleveland World Series of Metal, having national
bands such as Drain STH, Crowbar, Overkill, Six Feet Under, Pissing Razors,
Nile, and many others open up for them. They have grown into a regional phenomenon,
easily and consistently selling out shows with up to 2500 capacity, a feat
many national acts with major record-label backing and big publicity machines
often can not duplicate.
XX, Mushroomhead's national debut, is an offering which combines the best
of their independent releases in remixed form with a new keyboard interlude,
"Epiphany." Each new Mushroomhead album has one. Diverse yet cohesive
selections from their self titled local debut (1995), Superbuick (1996), and
M3 (1999), showcase the band's musical breadth as it slips from techno to
the brink of industrial metal delivering songs, complete with verses, hooks
and choruses. From the band's creative use of spoken word samples on "Episode
29" to the track "Bwomp," which throws it all down, careening
from an industrial-meets-hardcore opening through rap, ambient, dub and techno
sections in a breathtaking roller coaster ride, XX lets the music speak for
itself. Rocking the subconscious, they are a universe onto itself. No doubt,
Mushroomhead didn't become Ohio's biggest draw by worrying about offending
anyone.
Mushroomhead - 1995
Superbuick - 1996
"Re-mix" Multimedia cd-rom - 1997
M3 - 10/31/1999
Filthy Hands Sampler - October 17, 2000
XX - 05/08/2001
To Purchace any of the above albums (excluding Filthy Hands Sampler) visit Mushroomhead.org's webstore.
This Biography is taken from exerts off Eclipse Records dot
com and Universal Music, all content on this page is © of the respected
artists and labels.
