Mudvayne - L.D. 50

I first heard Mudvayne on a sample tape and was far from impressed. Nothing about the music sounded original, and it didn't seem like they had anything I liked. A couple weeks later I heard a couple tracks off the CD itself, and started to like their sound a little more. I decided to buy the album, and it hasn't left my changer since that day. From the first listen, I knew the demo tapes weren't doing the band justice. The music on this album is very complex, and there is so much going on in each song. One of the things I found most impressive about the album was the voice of the singer, Kud. Not only can he scream with the best of them, but he also has a really nice singing voice, and shows he isn't afraid to use it. If you listen closely, you will also find several times when Kud sounds like Jonathon Davis. However, this clearly comes through as an influence rather than imitation. Summing things up, this album was no doubt one of the best albums of 2000. I can not seem to wear it out, and listen to it a lot more than what's healthy. In Lamen's terms, it is a sonic assault of audibly pleasing music. [www.mudvayne.com]