DVD Review: Mushroomhead Volume 1

Mushroomhead's first DVD release is upon us! If you are a fan, you probably already knew that. For those of you who aren't fans, you soon will be. That is if you have a taste for the bizarre and a love for all that is heavy. Mushroomhead strikes me as a cross between Slipknot and Faith No More, that may not be a terribly accurate description, but it works for me. They will probably always be followed with the Slipknot comparisons due to the number of members and the use of masks, for my money Mushroomhead is vastly superior.

This disk is a combination of music videos, live/crowd footage edited into music videos, and behind the scenes screwing around. Let me be right up front and say that I really like this disk, I have watched it a few times, and each time it got a little better. That said, I am also a little disappointed with it. I had hoped that there would be some interviews and background on the band.

The disk has videos for "Kill Tomorrow," "Eternal," "Sun Doesn't Rise," and "Solitaire/Unraveling." There videos are great, twisted monstrosities which showcase some very cool music, plus their penchant for the theatrical. If you haven't seen them before, be prepared for the surreal. Their are also montage type videos for "Before I Die," "Along the Way," and "Becoming Cold (216)." The montages include a mix of onstage, crowd, backstage footage, there is even a collection of fans showing off their Mushroomhead inspired tattoos, not to mention watching Jeffrey Nothing get his makeup applied.

There is plenty of footage crammed into those videos to give you a good idea of what it may be like to experience this octet live. The lights, the energy, the slightly surreal vibe given off by the masked men, plus Jeffrey standing in the center of the mayhem, posing with his head shaking. You can get a good feel for their impressive stage presence, when all eight men are in the midst of a song, you can't look away from this mass of masks.

Outside of the great music, there is a good chunk of behind the scenes footage. Lots of footage of the band screwing around. A little bit of studio work, but mainly screwing around. The guys taping each other while their snoring, Jeffrey when he's drunk, interrupting other bands onstage, tearing up hotel rooms. It is actually kind of fun watching these guys do the rock star thing. The last segment has footage of them with other bands they have toured with, primarily Dope, but also Lamb of God, Meshuggah, Twisted Method, and Avenged Sevenfold.

I still can't tell you who is who, outside of Jeffrey and J-Mann (who is no longer in the band). But I guess it doesn't really matter.

It is presented in a ratio of 1.33:1 full screen video and 2.0 Dolby Digital audio, and it looks very good. Granted, a lot of the footage was shot with a camcorder, so the quality isn't great, but it is put together well and has a good flow to it.

I have to recommend this for fans, for the music alone it is worth it. It is a fun, heavy romp through the world of Mushroomhead. Again, I wish it had some interview, or real behind the scenes content, but there is something to hope for on the next DVD.

Recommended.

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