"American heavy metal band Mudvayne have announced their return after 11 years of Inactivity. The band formed in 1996 before disbanding in 2010 and are known for their songs “Dig,” “Not Falling,” and “Happy?”, as well as for the iconic “Brr Brr Deng” memes. After more than a decade of wondering if the band would ever reform, we finally have our answer. It’s a resounding yes."
-Donovan Harris, 8th Grade
American heavy metal band Mudvayne have announced their return after 11 years of Inactivity. The band formed in 1996 before disbanding in 2010 and are known for their songs “Dig,” “Not Falling,” and “Happy?”, as well as for the iconic “Brr Brr Deng” memes. After more than a decade of wondering if the band would ever reform, we finally have our answer. It’s a resounding yes.
The band was first formed in 1996 in Peoria, Illinois, and released their debut EP Kill, I Oughta in 1997, as well as their debut album, L.D. 50 in August of 2000, which contained the band’s most popular song to date, “Dig”. “Dig” won MTV2’s music awards, as well as receiving significant radio play. Mudvayne began getting recognition for their music, but also their looks, which included unique uniforms and masks that featured distinct face and body paint.
The band was first formed in 1996 in Peoria, Illinois, and released their debut EP Kill, I Oughta in 1997, as well as their debut album, L.D. 50 in August of 2000, which contained the band’s most popular song to date, “Dig”. “Dig” won MTV2’s music awards, as well as receiving significant radio play. Mudvayne began getting recognition for their music, but also their looks, which included unique uniforms and masks that featured distinct face and body paint.
Signed to Epic Records, Mudvayne released four more albums over the span of 10 years. The End of All Things to Come in 2002, Lost And Found in 2005, The New Game in 2008, and their self-titled LP in 2009. Two members of the band, vocalist Chad Gray, and guitarist Greg Tribbett were already in a supergroup called Hellyeah since 2007, though Tribbett parted ways with the band in 2014. The band also included Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell, and Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul.
Mudvayne split in 2010, with Gray stating: “There's a level of Hellyeah — and I'm not pointing any fingers or whatever to the ex-fans of our ex-bands and stuff like that — but it's like, we feel we deserve to be accepted and respected for what we do now musically. The past is the past, we live for now." He continued, "I still love and talk to those guys, but it's like being in a relationship and all the sudden things just start to fall apart. Mudvayne was just dissolving. It became too much for all of us. It was no one person in particular's fault. We all have faults. It was crumbling beneath us. I chose to be an artist and continue to play in Hellyeah."
Tribbett also played in the band Audiotopsy with Mudvayne drummer Matthew McDonough. Bassist Ryan Martinie was involved in several other rock projects, as well as briefly touring for the metal band Korn in 2012.
Fans have been demanding a reunion for years, however, on April 19, 2021, came a surprise. They announced their return to the game, as well as four appearances at major metal festivals. According to MetalHammer, “The quartet will appear at Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival (September 10-12 in Mansfield, Ohio), Louder Than Life (September 23-26 in Louisville, Kentucky), Aftershock (October 7-10 in Sacramento, California) and Welcome To Rockville (November 11-14 in Daytona Beach, Florida).”
Danny Wimmer Presents, A Los Angeles music production and promotion company said, "In our fan surveys, Mudvayne has consistently been one of the most requested bands — even though they weren't an active band! We've been working for years to make this happen, so when I got the call that they'd finally take a meeting, [DWP Executive VP & Talent Buyer] Gary Spivack and I jumped at the chance to fly to Vegas. We sat down for dinner with Mudvayne, their lawyer Eric German, manager Diony Sepulveda and agent Ryan Harlacher — the band hadn't even been in the same room together for 10 years — and pleaded our case for why the time was right for this to happen.”."
A year prior to these announcements, Ryan Martinie possibly hinted at a reunion in an interview with MetalHammer, saying “Man, there’s always talk. Which is a good thing. I’m fortunate enough that the thing that we made together still garners some kind of interest from our fans and for those people who may have wanted to see us and never got to. There’s still kind of the ‘man, are they gonna do it?’”
We’ll have to wait until fall, but then Mudvayne will play shows for the first time in 12 years. Let’s hope they can put out some great music as memorable as what they put out over a decade ago.
Mudvayne split in 2010, with Gray stating: “There's a level of Hellyeah — and I'm not pointing any fingers or whatever to the ex-fans of our ex-bands and stuff like that — but it's like, we feel we deserve to be accepted and respected for what we do now musically. The past is the past, we live for now." He continued, "I still love and talk to those guys, but it's like being in a relationship and all the sudden things just start to fall apart. Mudvayne was just dissolving. It became too much for all of us. It was no one person in particular's fault. We all have faults. It was crumbling beneath us. I chose to be an artist and continue to play in Hellyeah."
Tribbett also played in the band Audiotopsy with Mudvayne drummer Matthew McDonough. Bassist Ryan Martinie was involved in several other rock projects, as well as briefly touring for the metal band Korn in 2012.
Fans have been demanding a reunion for years, however, on April 19, 2021, came a surprise. They announced their return to the game, as well as four appearances at major metal festivals. According to MetalHammer, “The quartet will appear at Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival (September 10-12 in Mansfield, Ohio), Louder Than Life (September 23-26 in Louisville, Kentucky), Aftershock (October 7-10 in Sacramento, California) and Welcome To Rockville (November 11-14 in Daytona Beach, Florida).”
Danny Wimmer Presents, A Los Angeles music production and promotion company said, "In our fan surveys, Mudvayne has consistently been one of the most requested bands — even though they weren't an active band! We've been working for years to make this happen, so when I got the call that they'd finally take a meeting, [DWP Executive VP & Talent Buyer] Gary Spivack and I jumped at the chance to fly to Vegas. We sat down for dinner with Mudvayne, their lawyer Eric German, manager Diony Sepulveda and agent Ryan Harlacher — the band hadn't even been in the same room together for 10 years — and pleaded our case for why the time was right for this to happen.”."
A year prior to these announcements, Ryan Martinie possibly hinted at a reunion in an interview with MetalHammer, saying “Man, there’s always talk. Which is a good thing. I’m fortunate enough that the thing that we made together still garners some kind of interest from our fans and for those people who may have wanted to see us and never got to. There’s still kind of the ‘man, are they gonna do it?’”
We’ll have to wait until fall, but then Mudvayne will play shows for the first time in 12 years. Let’s hope they can put out some great music as memorable as what they put out over a decade ago.