Mushroomhead

They design shows that thrill and shock; they blow people’s minds with a musical experience that crosses all genres and appeals to all demographics. You can be really interested in heavy metal, or you can be from a more preppy background—no matter where you come from, Mushroomhead will undoubtedly grab your attention with their music, and then keep you coming back for more with their amazing live performances (they have custom made percussion that can shoot water 8 to 10 feet in the air!).

Originating in 1993 around the Cleveland area, Mushroomhead started out as a side project for most of the members. In order to differentiate themselves from the other bands that they were involved with, Mushroomhead used costumes and Halloween- style masks to create an off-the-wall experience that quickly turned into a sensation.

When asked if the masks would ever come off, their response was not a chance! “Mushroomhead without the masks would not be the same; the shows would not be as visual and aggressive [and in the end], the fans want to see the characters,” said the band.

By staying true to themselves and their music, Mushroomhead’s success has been widespread—the 8 members of the band have even shared the stage with Type O Negative, who lost lead singer Peter Steele earlier this year.

“We never knew Peter on a personal level,” Mushroomhead said. “But we have a big respect for him [and] it is very disheartening that he died. He was a great artist and he had [a huge] impact on metal music.”

The band grew up loving industrial metal music (Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson were mentioned as some of their favorite rockers), and they have been inspired by the electronic metal-based music of the ‘90s.

“Today’s music, [with all of its technology and lip-synching debacles], has really ripped the soul out of music,” and that’s why Mushroomhead works hard to stay true to their sound. They produce and record their own music and design all of their own shows.

When people come to see Mushroomhead live, they are definitely getting their money’s worth. When you go see Lady Gaga, the band commented, “It is a great looking show, but she’s not really performing. No one can do 4-part harmonies live, and [lip-synching] really bums [us] out.”

Mushroomhead's music can ultimately be described as alternative metal, but they try to incorporate a lot of different styles, such as techno, in order to escape boredom and inspire their audiences to keep an open-mind when it comes to music.

Their originality has made them beloved by fans all over the world, as seen when the band played at The Ozzfest in 2002 in Donington, England. Mushroomhead described the Ozzfest as the most amazing experience of their careers. When screaming and crying fans couldn’t get the band’s autograph, riots broke out—fences were knocked down and the band had to be removed from the grounds in order to stay safe. “It was the one time in our careers that we felt like The Beatles [and like] a huge superstar band!

Mushroomhead has released seven studio albums, the last which came out on September 28, entitled "Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children". Mushroomhead tried to get back to the roots of the band with this album, attempting to appease fans of the past that might have been alienated by their last album, "Savior Sorrow," which was released in 2006.

A lot of the songs on "Beautiful Stories" were written directly for radio access so that their music could reach more people, and then others were written to have a powerhouse live element. “The lyrical content [on this album] is great and the guitar-playing is top-notch,” the band said. Though "Savior Sorrow" was a great album, “it was not what we were going for sound-wise. ["Beautiful Stories"] sounds very pro and the song writing evolved. We now know how to write for the masses.”

Though illegal downloading has hindered Mushroomhead’s record sales, thousands upon thousands of people from around the world still flock to their shows.

Mushroomhead will be returning to Cleveland for Halloween weekend.