L.D. 50 | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 22, 2000 | |||
Studio | The Warehouse Studio, Vancouver, Canada [1] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 68:32 | |||
Label | No-Name/Epic | |||
Producer |
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Mudvayne chronology | ||||
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Singles from LD.50 | ||||
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L.D. 50 is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Mudvayne. Released on August 22, 2000, [1] it is the band's first release on Epic Records, following the independently-released extended play Kill, I Oughtta . The album was co-produced by Garth Richardson and Mudvayne, and executive produced by Steve Richards and Slipknot member Shawn "Clown" Crahan.
The band's elaborate visual appearance resulted in increased recognition of the band, and L.D. 50 peaked at No. 85 on the Billboard 200. While initially receiving mixed critical reception on release, the album would gain praise from critics over time for its technical and heavy style of music.
Mudvayne formed in 1996 in Peoria, Illinois. [9] The band became known for its strong visual appearance, which included horror film-styled makeup. [10] After independently releasing their debut extended play, Kill, I Oughtta , the band signed to No-Name/Epic Records. [10] L.D. 50 was produced by Garth "GGGarth" Richardson [11] and executive produced by Steve Richards and Slipknot member Shawn "Clown" Crahan. [3] [9] [10] [12] [13] Epic Records initially chose to promote the band without focusing on its appearance and early promotional materials featured a logo instead of photographs of the band. However, the band's appearance and music videos increased recognition of the album. [10]
According to the band, the production of the album was very hectic. Drummer Matthew McDonough reflected, "We worked around the clock, and some of the engineers we had with us literally went for days with-out sleep. It was very, very time-intensive. We didn't party. We were recording in Vancouver but didn't get to see the town-we were just there and we worked and that was it. It was very intense, and Garth ran a tight ship." [14] Singer Chad Gray recalled, "Making the record was crazy. It was all about work. There were songs I left alone and didn't mess with until we were in the studio, which was not a smart idea considering the time and budget constraints we were under. I wrote 'Pharmaecopia' and 'Nothing To Gein' on our last night in the studio, before the tapes were sent to New York to be mixed. The pres-sure [sic] was insane." [14]
L.D. 50 features a technical style of music which has been referred to by the band as math metal. [16] [8] Mudvayne's musical style has influences of death metal, [17] hardcore punk, [17] jazz fusion, [17] speed metal [17] and hip hop. [18] [19]
Mudvayne has found additional inspiration from artists such as Obituary, [20] Emperor, [16] Mötley Crüe, [20] Alice in Chains, [20] Pearl Jam, [20] King Crimson, [16] Porcupine Tree [16] and Metallica. [20] However, the band has stated that they are not influenced by other metal bands. [16] The album's first track, "Monolith", refers to Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey . [11] The band were greatly influenced by this film during the making of L.D. 50. [9] [14]
During the songwriting process, the band members paired riffs with lyrics based on what Matthew McDonough referred to as "number symbolism". [17] According to McDonough, while he and Chad Gray wrote the lyrics to "Nothing to Gein", Greg Tribbett performed a riff which alternated in bars of 4 and 5. Because the number 9 is a lunar number, McDonough felt that the riff would fit the song's lyrics, which referred to serial killer and grave robber Ed Gein, whose actions McDonough associated with nighttime activity. [9] [17] Gein's story grabbed the attention of McDonough and Gray as they were leafing through a book on murderers and true crime. [9] Regarding Gein, McDonough commented, "It seemed so impossible [for Gein] to bridge the gap into mainstream society. I found that exciting that I could find humanity in him". [9]
The album's title derives from the technical term 'Median lethal dose', abbreviated 'LD50', used by toxicologists to refer to the dosage of any given substance required to kill half (50 percent of) the members of a tested population. [9] [11] [17] A sound collage entitled "L.D. 50", composed and recorded by drummer Matthew McDonough, appears on the album as a series of interludes. The complete piece appeared as a bonus track on The Beginning of All Things to End, Epic Records' reissue of the band's 1997 self-released EP Kill, I Oughtta. [13] [21] The album also features distorted audio clips voiced by American philosopher and psychonaut, Terence McKenna, who died around the time of the album's recording. [3] [15]
The musical style of L.D. 50 has been primarily described as heavy metal or one of its subgenres. [2] [1] [3] AllMusic described the album, in addition to heavy metal, as thrash. [1] Exclaim! described the album as nu metal. [4] Spin magazine has described the album as having a "future-prog" sound. [22] The Rough Guide to Heavy Metal described the album's sound as art metal. [23]
L.D. 50 was released on August 22, 2000. [1] It peaked at number one on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart and number 85 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. [24] [25] The singles "Dig" and "Death Blooms" peaked at No. 33 and No. 32, respectively, on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. [25]
L.D. 50 was repackaged with The Beginning of All Things to End on August 30, 2011. [26] These albums, plus The Beginning of Things to End, a reissue of the band's demo Kill, I Oughtta , were repackaged as part of the Original Album Classics in 2012. [27]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Blabbermouth.net | 8/10 [28] |
Drowned in Sound | 8/10 [29] |
Kerrang! | [30] |
Melody Maker | [31] |
Metal Hammer | 8/10 [32] |
Rock Sound | [33] |
Rolling Stone | [2] |
Martin Charles Strong | [34] |
Terrorizer | 0/10 [35] |
L.D. 50 received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Rolling Stone contributor Ben Ratliff gave the album three out of five stars. [2] He noted the band's technical background, comparing the songwriting style to that of Nirvana and stating that the album's interludes are better than those of Slipknot. [2] Blabbermouth.net writer Borivoj Krgin praised its technicality and heaviness. [28]
AllMusic described the music as "hard to take seriously", noting that "the CD booklet, which contains an acknowledgments section as lengthy and gushy as what you'd find on a teen pop album. Can these guys giving thanks and love to family and friends be the same ones performing aggressive lockstep metal, spewing obscenities, and singing about suicide?" [1] Exclaim! gave the album a negative review, stating that "Despite titles like 'Internal Primates Forever,' '-1,' 'Nothing To Gein,' 'Pharmaecopia' and '(K)Now F(orever)' nothing can improve this pathetic nu-metal drivel" and "The only redeeming quality to this record is the intrusive fretless bass sound that kind of sounds like Les Claypool's noodling." [4] NME gave the album a negative review, describing the album as "An unholy stew, baby, a musical ebola" and that there were "far too many incidences of Rush-style mid-'70s ponce metal 'proper' singing. Think Yes. Think 'Stonehenge' by Spinal Tap. Think prog-rock bollocks, baby!" [36] Nick Terry's review of the album for Terrorizer , which awarded no marks, read only: "No. Nonononono. NO. Come back, Coal Chamber, all is forgiven...". [35]
Revolver put the album on their "10 Nu-Metal Albums You Need to Own" list, stating that "the album's prog-rock experimentalism and virtuosic playing hold up amazingly well–even if the rapping on tracks like[ sic ] "Under My Skin" binds 'L.D. 50′ more to nu-metal than to the math-metal tag". [5] In 2020, it was named one of the 20 best metal albums of 2000 by Metal Hammer magazine. [37]
All tracks are written by Chad Gray, Ryan Martinie, Greg Tribbett and Matthew McDonough. Interludes composed by Matthew McDonough
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Monolith" | 1:52 |
2. | "Dig" | 2:43 |
3. | "Internal Primates Forever" | 4:25 |
4. | "-1" | 3:58 |
5. | "Death Blooms" | 4:52 |
6. | "Golden Ratio" | 0:54 |
7. | "Cradle" | 5:14 |
8. | "Nothing to Gein" | 5:29 |
9. | "Mutatis Mutandis" | 1:43 |
10. | "Everything and Nothing" | 3:14 |
11. | "Severed" | 6:33 |
12. | "Recombinant Resurgence" | 2:00 |
13. | "Prod" | 6:03 |
14. | "Pharmaecopia" | 5:34 |
15. | "Under My Skin" | 3:47 |
16. | "(K)now F(orever)" | 7:06 |
17. | "Lethal Dosage" | 2:59 |
Total length: | 68:32 |
No. | Title | Length |
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18. | "Dig" (live) | 2:43 |
19. | "Cradle" (live) | 5:03 |
Mudvayne
Additional personnel
Weekly charts
| Singles
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA) [24] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Nu metal is a subgenre of alternative metal that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu metal rarely features guitar solos or other displays of musical technique, and emphasizes rhythm with instrumentation that is heavily syncopated. Nu metal guitarists typically use seven-string guitars that are down-tuned to produce a heavier sound. Vocal styles are often rhythmic and influenced by hip hop, and include singing, rapping, screaming and sometimes growling. DJs are occasionally featured to provide instrumentation such as sampling, turntable scratching and electronic background music. Nu metal is one of the key genres of the new wave of American heavy metal.
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1995 by percussionist Shawn Crahan, former vocalist Anders Colsefni and bassist Paul Gray. After several lineup changes in its early years, the band settled on nine members for more than a decade: Crahan, Gray, Joey Jordison, Craig Jones, Mick Thomson, Corey Taylor, Sid Wilson, Chris Fehn, and Jim Root. Slipknot is well known for its attention-grabbing image, aggressive style of music, and energetic and chaotic live shows.
Iowa is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Slipknot. Produced by the members and Ross Robinson, it was released on August 28, 2001, by Roadrunner Records. The title refers the band's state origin, Iowa, which members have stated is one of their greatest sources of inspiration. With much anticipation for the album following the success of their 1999 self-titled debut, pressures on the band were high. Their relationships with each other suffered and this was later described as the darkest time of their career. It was also the first full album to feature guitarist Jim Root after only appearing on one song from their previous album. Despite troubles within the band and with Iowa's development, Slipknot promoted it for almost a year.
Slipknot is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. It was released on June 29, 1999, by Roadrunner Records, following a demo containing a few of the songs which had previously been released in 1998. Later, it was reissued in December 1999 with a slightly-altered track listing and mastering as the result of a lawsuit. It was the first release by the band to be produced by Ross Robinson, who sought to refine Slipknot's sound rather than alter the group's musical direction. This is the only album to feature original guitarist Josh Brainard who left at the end of recording in late 1998 while the band was taking a brief break. Jim Root, who recorded two tracks at this point, would appear full time on subsequent albums starting with their next album Iowa.
Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band formed in Peoria, Illinois, in 1996. Known for their sonic experimentation, face and body paint, masks and uniforms, the band has sold over five million records worldwide. The group consists of lead guitarist Greg Tribbett, drummer Matthew McDonough, lead vocalist Chad Gray, bassist Ryan Martinie and live rhythm guitarist Marcus Rafferty. The band became popular in the late-1990s Peoria underground music scene, and they found success with the single "Dig" from their debut album L.D. 50 (2000). After releasing four more albums and touring relentlessly for nearly a decade, Mudvayne went on hiatus in 2010. They reunited in 2021 and continue to perform live.
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Michael Shawn Crahan, more commonly known by his stage persona "Clown", is an American musician. He is the co-founder and one of the percussionists for alternative metal band Slipknot, in which he is designated #6. Crahan helped form Slipknot in 1995 alongside bassist Paul Gray and former vocalist Anders Colsefni. Crahan is the longest-serving and only remaining original member of Slipknot, and also has extensive involvement with Slipknot's media production and music videos. Outside Slipknot, Crahan had two side project bands called To My Surprise and Dirty Little Rabbits. Aside from his musical activity, he also directed the 2016 action thriller film Officer Downe.
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Gregory Arnold Tribbett Jr. is an American guitarist who is one of the founding members, lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the metal band Mudvayne. He is also the former lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the metal bands Audiotopsy and Hellyeah. He's been with Mudvayne from their inception in 1996 until their dissolution in 2010, and again from 2021 to now. He has named Randy Rhoads as the guitarist who most influenced him. Greg has 3 brothers; Derrick "Tripp" Tribbett, who previously played bass for Dope, and sang for Makeshift Romeo and Twisted Method, The Late Dustin "Diggz" Tribbett, once the bass player for Element, and Dead End Asylum, is now an independent musician and writer, and also Matt Tribbett, who was a drum technician for the American metal band Slipknot.
Matthew McDonough is an American drummer best known as a member of the heavy metal band Mudvayne. He is the band's original drummer and has appeared and performed on every release by Mudvayne. He was also the original drummer of Audiotopsy since 2015 until his departure in 2021. He holds a respected place in the world of drumming for his signature drumming style.
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"Nothing to Gein" is a song by American metal band Mudvayne. It was released as the third single from their debut album L.D. 50, and was written during the last days of the album's recording. The song is inspired by American murderer Ed Gein.
Kill, I Oughtta is the debut extended play of American heavy metal band Mudvayne. It was self-released by the band in 1997. In 2001, the EP was reissued by Epic Records under the title The Beginning of All Things to End. The reissue featured, as additional tracks, remixes of "Dig", and "L.D. 50", a 17-minute sound collage which originally appeared as interludes on that album. It is the only release by Mudvayne to have any participation from original bassist Shawn Barclay.
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Mudvayne is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Mudvayne, released on December 21, 2009, it was the band's final album before entering an eleven-year hiatus in 2010. The material from the album was recorded simultaneously with the material that appeared on The New Game. "Beautiful and Strange", a single from the band, was made available for streaming on the band's website and MySpace page on October 7, 2009. There was no tour to support the album, which had little promotion and sales were also weak.
Audiotopsy is an American alternative metal band from Peoria, Illinois, formed in 2015. Its current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Billy Keeton, lead guitarist James Vinson, bassist Perry Stern, and drummer Trevor Bodkins. The band previously included Mudvayne members Greg Tribbett and Matthew McDonough.
We Are Not Your Kind is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Recorded at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, California with co-producer Greg Fidelman, it was released on August 9, 2019, by Roadrunner Records. The title is taken from a lyric in the song "All Out Life", which was released as a standalone single in 2018 and features as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album. We Are Not Your Kind is the only Slipknot album to be recorded as an eight-member band, as their former percussionist Chris Fehn was fired from the band in March 2019 after suing the group for alleged unpaid royalties.
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