It would be easy for me to dismiss this collection of Mudvayne merely because of the source of the music, that being the band Mudvayne who wear stupid outfits and play shouty, prog-inflected metal. Yet putting aside my snobby hat, which comes in both blue and yellow Egyptian cotton, there are some at least head nodding moments to be found on this Epic release.
The album has an odd set-up, compromising tracks that were chosen via the band's website interspersed with commentary from the band themselves. The commentary might be interesting to some but let's face it, a demo is a demo and a live cut is just a recording of a band playing live.
The album opens with a razor sharp live version of their song
Dig, complete with dodgy crowd banter. It sounds BIG and has a riff the size of a brontosaurus shit. Can't argue with that. Equally as memorable is the power ballad type
Forget To Remember with its Eastern flavour to the chiming guitars and the other live cut
World So Cold, a mid tempo angst rocker.
The rest of the tracks kind of blur together but there are enough riffs and melodies on here to show that Mudvayne's albums proper are probably of more worth than your average music fan might've thought.
Out now on Epic records
http://www.mudvayne.com/ 
