Following the breakout success of their eighth studio album and Napalm Records debut, 2020’s A Wonderful Life, masked metal masters MUSHROOMHEAD return with 2024’s cinematic Call The Devil - laying waste to any preconceived notions of where the band is headed in their third decade of reign. Resulting in debuts at #2 on the US Current Hard Music Albums chart and #8 on the Current Rock Albums chart, and with the unveiling of the band’s first woman vocalist, Jackie LaPonza, Steve "Skinny" Felton & Co. introduced a whole new slew of accessible, hard-hitting anthems on the “artistic breakthrough” (Loudwire), A Wonderful Life, and have only aimed to expand on it with their ninth auditory onslaught.
Returning after a 12 year hiatus, longtime guitarist Dave "Gravy" Felton – who performed on several of the band’s biggest albums and is credited as a primary songwriter on classic anthems like “Along The Way”, “Sun Doesn’t Rise” and “The Dream Is Over” – contributes his trademark skills to two album tracks. Call The Devil once again features production by band mastermind/drummer Skinny, as well as the return of Matt Wallace (Faith No More, 3 Doors Down) on mixing, also recognized for his work on MUSHROOMHEAD’s iconic album XIII. The album is also the band’s first to feature mastering from Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Epica, Arch Enemy). Bursting with ominous intensity, album opener “Eye To Eye” launches with warning sirens and a grooving riff provided by Gravy, proving the band wastes zero time with filler on Call The Devil. Metallic “Fall In Line” pummels with intense drums, electro-industrial injections and spine-tingling keys, boasting a twisting, multi-vocal attack balancing both brutal and melodic sounds from vocalist Scott Beck alongside Jackie LaPonza.
Eclectic tracks like the emotive, surprisingly jazzy anthem “Emptiness”, dramatic carnival creeper “UIOP (A Final Reprieve)” and haunting “Hallelucination” showcase the more experimental side of MUSHROOMHEAD, while heavy burners such as the gripping “Prepackaged”, charging and melodic “Hideous” and aggressive drum-forward “Torn In Two” cement the band’s lauded metal renown. Featuring guitar work and writing from Gravy, the winding, dark “We Don’t Care” proves to be a future live favorite with its chanting chorus and earworm hook as vocalists Steve Rauckhorst and Jackie LaPonza split leadership duties. Call The Devil brings the cinematic, signature style of musical mastermind and bassist/keyboardist Ryan "Dr. F" Farrell to the forefront, exploring piano-driven balladic auras and compelling with eerily Vaudevillian three-part vocal achievements on songs like “Decomposition”, “Grand Gesture” and “Shame In A Basket”, eventually veering into welcomed bizarre territory with closer “Doom Goose”. 30 years into their groundbreaking history, MUSHROOMHEAD shows no signs of slowing down, proving innovative without losing sight of their trademark sound and imagery. Call The Devil boasts everything from bangers to ballads, providing a strong variety that every heavy music fan will have on repeat!
- Format: Vinyl
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