Background and production
After reuniting in 2021 following an extended hiatus that began in 2010, Mudvayne spent the first couple of years the reunion touring and gradually re-establishing their collaborative rhythm before returning to the studio to work on new music before doing so in 2023. [3] [4] "Sticks and Stones" was developed during the same recording sessions as their first comeback single, "Hurt People Hurt People" with producer Nick Raskulinecz and mastering engineer Ted Jensen, as well as Josh Wilbur serving as mixing engineer and Nathan Yarborough an additional audio engineer with the goal of capturing the heavier elements of their debut album L.D. 50 , released in August 2000. [5]
In a September 2025 interview Gray commented on the track, saying the song explores the lingering effects of emotional abuse and verbal harm, referencing the phrase "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me". He stated, "I was always told that it's a great nursery rhyme, but I couldn't disagree more," adding that words "have teeth and they won't let go." Gray elaborated that he wrote the lyrics as a reminder for parents "to love their children" and not to use them as "a bullet to fire into your ex." [6] [7] [8]
Gray further described the song as addressing personal resilience and the emotional toll of internal conflict, using the childhood phrase "sticks and stones may break my bones" as a metaphor for psychological endurance and recovery. [9] The songwriting process was collaborative among all four members, similar to their earlier work on albums like L.D. 50 and The End of All Things to Come . [10] [11]
"Sticks and Stones" was officially released as a single on September 11, 2025, through Alchemy Recordings and BMG, marking the band's second release with their new record deal. [12] The single arrived three weeks after "Hurt People Hurt People" continuing the rollout of new music leading up to the band's next studio album. [13] Upon release, the band premiered an official music video on YouTube featuring performance footage intercut with surreal, symbolic imagery depicting psychological struggle and transformation. They performed Sticks and Stones" live for the very first time in St. Louis, Missouri during the opening show on the band's Fall 2025 tour with Static-X. [14] [15]
Critical reception
"Sticks and Stones" received mixed to positive responses from music journalists. Revolver Magazine , Metal Injection , and Metal Insider praised the track's production, emotional depth, and lyrical introspection, calling it a strong continuation of Mudvayne's signature style while embracing melodic growth. [20] [21] In contrast, MetalSucks offered a more critical take, describing the song as "less rhythmically complex" than the band's early work and suggesting that it leaned closer in tone to Chad Gray's later project Hellyeah than to the progressive edge of L.D. 50 or The End of All Things to Come . [22] Reviewers generally agreed that the song's polished sound marked a stylistic evolution for the group after its sixteen-year hiatus. [23] [24]
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