Customer Reviews

New Game (Deluxe)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Unfortunately, Mudvayne has now fallen into a category of successful alternative metal bands that have changed their sound, or toned it down, to sell more records. I can only believe that after the major success of "Happy?", they wanted to make an album of radio-friendly tunes to hopefully carry on that success.

This trend is disappointing, as we have all seen Korn, Linkin Park, Finger Eleven, and many more bands take this route. Now don't get me wrong: I still own all the recent albums from these bands, and listen to them from time to time. They aren't bad albums, per se, but they lack the energy and excitement that their earlier albums provided. What we are left with is a collection of songs that are listenable, even catchy at times. The problem is that they don't stand out from the hundreds of other bands that permeate the airwaves. The edge they had is gone.

When Mudvayne released LD:50 in 2000, that album became the soundtrack to my college days. It was intense, unpredictable, heavy, and unlike anything I had or have ever heard. In my opinion, it is one of the best albums of the last ten years. While it may be the least accessible to the average listener, because of the insane song structures, screaming, and overall heaviness, it is their masterpiece. Every song on the album felt like an integral piece, meant to be listened to as a whole.
Mudvayne has altered their sound since their debut, becoming less intense and more radio-friendly. Also, their albums became less like albums, and more like collections of random songs. The End of All THings to COme bridged the gap from metal to hard rock, and Lost and Found was much more hard rock than metal.
The New Game is not a bad album. There are some really good songs on here, such as "Do What You Do", "Dull Boy", and "Fish Out of Water". If you are a diehard fan of LD 50, I would suggest you listen before you buy, or at least try to take it for what it is.
It sounds like there is hope for the future, as there are rumors that we will have a HEAVY Mudvayne album within the next year.
THe New Game gets 3.5 Stars from me, as it can't compare to earlier Mudvayne. They are still better than 75% of the garbage out there, though.

Big time disappointing album. Only 2 songs are worth listening to, the recycled Dull Boy and We The People. The uniqueness of Mudvayne is gone, the heaviness is gone, the noticeable bass lines are gone, the intense screaming that seemed to have substance behind them are gone. What you have left is boring, radio friendly, cookie cutter rock music.

Is it me or do you notice that when bands stop using swear words without inhibition (such as w/ this album) there music becomes a little more bland, (i.e Slipknot, Deftones and now Mudvayne). I guess that's a sign of them trying to become more radio friendly and wanting more record sales.

Let me just start this by saying that this album is the final nail in the coffin for my hopes that Mudvayne would get back to the LD 50 Mudvayne I know and absolutely love. I loved Pantera and I love Mudvayne, but Hell Yeah was just... I couldn't stand that album. In comparison to that, this album is 5 stars but if you're going to like this album as a Mudvayne fan, you have to almost view the band as if this album is the completion of redefining themselves. I mean, when was the last time you heard Gregg bust out a guitar solo? You will on this album, and a couple of them at that.

I gave this album 3 stars because while I liked listening to the album, not a whole lot of it makes me want to keep this CD spinning over and over... and that really saddens me, because I used to be all about this band. They've gone from having a sound that's completely their own to a sound that's extremely radio-friendly and non-enjoyable to spin any more than once or twice through as a listener. Chad has stated that they consider this as growth in themselves as musicians. Because they consider this album the fruition of growth, I decided I would rate this album based on the Mudvayne that's obviously here to stay; a new Mudvayne that's far, far away from the complexity, honesty, and purpose of LD 50.

I'll still check out future Mudvayne material in hopes of hearing some semblance of LD 50; an album I STILL listen to straight through and repeat it with the desire to hear more and more. Sorry, Mudvayne. If any of you happen to read this, I'm thrilled that you're all satisfied with yourselves and feel that you're growing as musicians. I completely appreciate that perspective but each album has brought about a certain distancing from someone like me who basically considers LD 50 to be as musically important with its statement as some of the most influential albums of all time!

"The New Game" is appropriate when considering this is obviously the finality of Mudvayne's musical growth and direction. It's not bad by any means; there's a lot of good music on here, but it's just not interesting to a listener like me who looks for the complexity and musical statement once made by the same 4 individuals on LD 50.

If you want to listen to an album like LD 50, then go buy... uh, LD 50. No, this album isn't what you might expect from Mudvayne, but the great thing from this band is that they don't have to define themselves and box themselves up the way most of the reviewers here apparently have. They're going to experiment with new sounds, new formats, new themes, and if you really do like THE BAND and not just the swearing and screaming, you'll be able to still enjoy them. The talent is still there. You can hear that this band cares about their music. They're still a supremely talented band that went in a slightly different direction than everyone is used to, and their fans are freaking out? Really? My God, calm down folks, it's not the end of the world.

So what, Chad doesn't swear every 15 seconds like he did in previous albums. He still has the scream down. And what do you care if they make their CD more radio friendly? They may love the music, but they still need to make money otherwise no one is going to pay them to play music. If you want Mudvayne to never change, then just keep LD 50 playing and never listen to anything else. But if you can appreciate watching this band twist and change and still maintain the essence of what they were, then you'll like this album.

No, it's not their best album, but as a huge Mudvayne fan, it's no exaggeration for me to say that I can listen to this CD on repeat all day and find something interesting and new each time I listen. They haven't worn the facepaint for years now. Their look has evolved. Let their sound evolve, too.

I've been a HUGE, HUGE Mudvayne fan for MANY years. This CD is dissappointing. I'm REALLY GLAD I got this CD for $5 off of Amazon's MP3 download service (with a free credit I had). I'd be even more dissappointed if I had paid more than that. Sad to say that Dull Boy (a song they released months ago to bait us all) is the best song on this CD.

This CD is what I'd call Mudvayne-Light...or Mudvayne-Mainstream...or Mudvayne-We're-So-Big-We've-Lost-Our-Heads...or Mudvayne-we're-suckling-the-sphincters-of-our-record-label-execs. I dunno. I just don't get/fathom the change in sound/style coming off their last CD. Their last CD (Lost and Found) was AWESOME but they certainly changed quite a bit here - and I have to say I don't like it for the better either.

First off, I really dislike the mix/sound on this CD. I believe this is a big part of it. Whomever recorded this CD took a powerful edge off of the beloved Mudvayne sound. Congratulations.

The style on this CD seems to be "made for radio". Where in the past there were a couple of slower, melodic songs that were "light" enough for radio - it seems as if they have watered down almost EVERYTHING on this CD.

Holy cow, did I actually hear a few guitar solos? I guess that's a bit of progress, however a couple of them are pretty bad. The way this CD ends is so flat and boring, it pretty much sums up this CD for me. What were they thinking, ending the CD like that??? BOOOORING! FLAT!!

Overall, I REALLY HOPE that Mudvayne departs from this new Wonder Bread style/sound because if they don't, they're gonna lose me moving forward. I also wish I didn't miss the opportunities I had to see them live in the past. I really doubt I'll go to see them live now if they're going to play this new stuff.

I give it 3 stars because it's Mudvayne. I can't give them less than that. Fingers crossed that they get their harder-style/sound back.

I have been gravitating towards black and death metal since 2003. And this album is even more reason for me too.
I have already pretty much stopped listening to the radio a couple of years ago because I got sick of hearing Nirvana and Sublime 10 times a day, each, and they were first popular 15 YEARS AGO. Plus there is the crap that is currently being played adnaseum on any rock station.
I was a big fan when they first came out, but like most bands they ran out of ideas and put out crap like this and the last "album" just to make money. This is a completely uninspired piece of dreck, totally radio friendly and a complete waste of my time.
Only get this if you are a die-hard Mudvayne fan and if you do, you aren't.

I typically like when artists change in time. I have no problem with new Metallica versus old; I feel the same about AFI or Tool. Even Mash held its own after eleven years. I think we just ask that a conscientious effort for quality be present.

The album starts off kinda odd but promising. But it's more of the same, with a few guitar solos thrown in for good measure. I was surprised to hear Do What You Do for the first time on the radio. In the middle of a long drive at night I sought refuge from the doldrums of midnight driving. Bam, there it was.

Sadly my hopes were dashed the first time I laid ears upon the record. What could have been good (though I doubt great) gave way to more of the same and eventually the bargain bin. Chad's propensity towards politics now seems like Ain Soph Aur is forever gone. Okay, well enough, because I thought Choices was a good song.

But he makes little effort in comparison. Even Lost And Found was different in that respect. At least that album was cohesive and still showing care towards the result. I did not get that feeling at all with The New Game.

It somewhat saddens me to say it too because I've seen numerous Mudvayne shows. Interstates and borders be damned, I will drive however far to the nearest show. With this album I'm a little hesitant to think of such devotion now. There is another album supposed to come out soon. I only hopes it makes up for this haphazard effort. If this is a sign of things to come I confess my road tripping days for Mudvayne are just as well over with my nostalgia for them.

Ryan and Matt are obviously the more talented half of the band. Greg was creative enough to get around his limitations. But the whole Nu Metal (whatever label you want to hide behind) relied heavily on power chords anyway. It's no surprise the scene has faded. It is surprising to see that even such a band that really pushed it further would succumb to it as well.

Let me make clear Chad's voice sounds just as great as ever. His lyrics are nowhere near par for most of the album though. The band can't over compensate enough to save the album for that reason. There are some good riffs here and there but nothing to bring it all together.

Bottom line, even for die hard fans, this isn't a game worth playing.

Even to this day, Mudvayne's first full-length on a major label, 2000's "L.D. 50," remains one of the best metal albums of the new millennium. Their follow-up, 2002's "The End Of All Things To Come," did make for a few good listens; but, at the end of the day, was fairly disappointing (especially when considering the standards set by its predecessor). Frontman Chad BLANK and Co. got back on the road to recovery in 2005 by releasing "Lost And Found," an effort which forfeited all of the band's math metal roots in favor of a much rawer and more urgent and aggressive edge. But whatever progress was made on that 2005 release went out the window three years later when Mudvayne's fourth album proper, 2008's "The New Game," saw the light of day. Again, that 2005 release may have been an improvement over the 2002 one. But that does not make it an excuse to simply rehash it the next time around (which is what "The New Game" does).

This record sounds so tired and played that it actually brings to light some of the promising elements in "TEOATTC." At least that effort showed the Peoria, Illinois-based quartet further pursing their progressive influences. (And besides, those results weren't all bad; several of the songs - especially the radio hit "Not Falling," and the touching balladry of "World So Cold" - were very good.) It has a few smart, and borderline "math-y" leanings, but they are so fleeting that they are almost not worth mentioning. Yes, Mudvayne's musicianship remains top notch, here. So, you will be sure to find more than an ample share of abrasive guitar licks, precise, syncopated, and natural-sounding drumming, and very technical, fluid, and uniquely jazzy bass lines. But with the songwriting lacking the way it is, none of this translates into great groundbreaking, or even consistently noteworthy music with staying power. As a result, "TNG" is, at best, fairly bland, recycled, unimaginative, and watered down alternative/nu-metal; at worst, it is uninspired hard rock. The head of second/third-rate post-grunge undeniably rears its ugly head from time to time, too!

And, unfortunately, the songs themselves are mostly hit-or-miss, too. In fact, this feeling becomes so overwhelming at times that one can't help but wonder if they are listening to an actually and completely new studio album, or just a compilation of b-sides and rarities. (It is more "By The People, For The People" than it is "L.D. 50.," and that is for sure.) The lead-off "Fish Out Of Water" is more-or-less a good representation of the record as a whole in that it is but one example of beginning on a soft note before predictably builds into a substantial amount of heaviness soon thereafter. "Do What You Do" and "Same Ol'" are two other numbers that work almost identically. One has an acoustic intro followed by the usual wall of guitar crunch and decent bass work; and the other hits more convincingly, with a dreamy melodic guitar intro offset by bruising rhythms, a steady, humming bass, and cool, full-bodied howls from Chad. "Do What You Do" also can claim to have the first guitar solo ever recorded by Greg Tribbett - a short and moronically simplistic one, but a guitar solo, nonetheless.

The title track is one of the biggest standouts, and is probably better than anything found elsewhere. It attacks with a savagely fiery and aggressive attitude, steamrolling rhythms, and slamming, profusely hard-rocking, head-banging grooves. It is also highlighted by a shocking guitar solo section - there are four decent solos in all, here. "Never Enough" is another one of the more enjoyable moments in that it is fat driven by excellent, complex, Primus-esque bass work. "We The People," a borderline brutal and surprisingly thrashy and propulsive set closer, and "The Hate In Me," a bearable hard-rocker with a few noteworthy slap bass interludes, are decent, as well.

But it is just too-darn-hard for the same to be said about the remainder of the material. "Have It Your Way" and the ironically-titled "Dull Boy" are both nothing more than predictable filler. They go absolutely nowhere, contribute nothing, and fail to leave much of an impression on the listener. Both of them also follow the same formulaic, soft-hard song-structures that have only been beaten into the ground an unquantifiable number of times since Nirvana and Alice In Chains invented them so many years ago. The latter song's cheesy lyrics don't help its cause, either. Next, "A Cinderella Story" may be have plenty of math-y bass lines that are impressive-to-say-the-least; but the bass work is really all this song has going for it. (And that isn't enough.) Lastly, "Scarlet Letters" does have the occasional burst of half-hearted heaviness, but it is mostly an obligatory, bloated, and entirely forgettable ballad that wouldn't sound mismatched coming from Staind (!).

To be brutally honest, there really isn't all that much to enjoy, here. "The New Game" is ironically titled because it is anything but new! The level of maturity and improvement displayed by Mudvayne throughout is zero. (Fans would have better luck finding growth if they looked on an old piece of cheese.) Sure, a few of these tunes could be qualified as keepers, but even they are not worth going out of one's way to get. For the most part, though, this is a VERY mediocre, disappointing, and skippable release from a band that, even at a relatively young age, seems content on distancing itself from its legacy.

When I first got this album, I looked inside its booklet. I read something about being able to go online and solve the fake murder of my fake best friend. I thought "OMG, Mudvayne, what the hell is this?" I then listened to the album. I thought "OMG, Mudvayne, what the hell is this?" Sooooo freaking soft. The only heavy song in this whole album is The Hate in Me. I really wished this album to just be a fluke, but then they released their self-titled album. Why, Mudvayne? Why?

This is one of the best rock issues ever. Musically this one of the best records ever made in the modern hard rock scene. I wish more bands would have the balls follow their instincts and put out music of this class. I have listened to this CD for months and I just cannot put it out of my top ten list.