Mudvayne
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1996 in Peoria, Illinois, United States |
| Headquarters | Peoria , United States |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
Number of employees | 5 |
Mudvayne is a heavy metal group from the United States, established in Peoria, Illinois, in 1996. Renowned for their innovative sound and unique use of face and body paint, the band has achieved global sales exceeding five million records. The members consist of lead guitarist Greg Tribbett, drummer Matthew McDonough, lead vocalist Chad Gray, bassist Ryan Martinie, and live rhythm guitarist Marcus Rafferty. Originating from Peoria’s underground music scene in the late 1990s, they rose to prominence with the hit single "Dig" off their debut album L.D. 50 released in 2000. After producing four additional albums and touring extensively for nearly ten years, Mudvayne entered a hiatus in 2010. They reunited in 2021 to resume live shows and, on August 28, 2025, unveiled their first new track in sixteen years titled "Hurt People Hurt People".
Formation, Kill, I Oughtta and L.D. 50 (1996–2001)
Mudvayne came together in 1996 in Peoria, Illinois, initially featuring guitarist Greg Tribbett, drummer Matthew McDonough, and bassist Shawn Barclay. The lineup was finalized months later when Chad Gray, who was then earning $40,000 annually at a factory job, left to become the band’s frontman.<ref> In 1997, they self-funded their debut EP Kill, I Oughtta. During its production, Barclay was replaced by Ryan Martinie, formerly part of Broken Altar.<ref> Following the EP’s independent release, Mudvayne incorporated stage personas and face paint as a key element of their visual identity.<ref>
Under the management of Chuck Toler, Mudvayne recorded their first full-length album L.D. 50 in 2000, which showcased jagged, dissonant tones alongside sound collage interludes.<ref> The album was produced collaboratively by the band and Garth Richardson, with executive production credits to Slipknot member Shawn Crahan and manager Steve Richards.<ref> L.D. 50 achieved No. 1 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart and reached No. 85 on the Billboard 200.<ref> Singles such as "Dig" and "Death Blooms" climbed to No. 33 and No. 32 respectively on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.<ref> Although widely acclaimed for its originality,<ref> some reviewers questioned the band's artistic intent.<ref>
To support L.D. 50, Mudvayne toured as part of the Tattoo the Earth festival alongside acts like Nothingface, Slayer, Slipknot, and Sevendust. During this tour, vocalist Chad Gray and Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell discussed forming a supergroup. Initial progress was hampered by scheduling conflicts; however, Mudvayne’s guitarist Greg Tribbett eventually joined this project. Though Nothingface drummer Tommy Sickles recorded demo tracks with them, they continued their search for a permanent drummer.<ref>
The End of All Things to Come and Lost and Found (2002–2005)
In 2002, Mudvayne released The End of All Things to Come, which fans dubbed their "black album" due to its dark-themed cover art. Drawing inspiration from themes of solitude, it expanded upon the sound introduced in L.D. 50 by incorporating a wider variety of riffs, tempos, moods, and vocal styles. This experimentation resulted in greater accessibility and critical praise as one of that year’s leading heavy metal releases; it also earned Gold certification from the RIAA in 2003. The track "Not Falling" introduced a fresh visual approach for the band. In 2003, Mudvayne participated in the Summer Sanitarium Tour headlined by Metallica, while Chad Gray contributed vocals to V Shape Mind's debut album.
Starting January 2004, Mudvayne began work on their third studio album with producer Dave Fortman. They dedicated four months to intensive songwriting before recording after completing their tour commitments. Both Gray and bassist Ryan Martinie expressed interest in creating a tribute album honoring metal pioneer Chuck Schuldiner, although this project never materialized.
In 2005, Chad Gray launched his own independent label called Bullygoat Records; its inaugural release was Bloodsimple's debut album A Cruel World, featuring contributions from Gray himself. On April 12 of that year, Mudvayne released Lost and Found, led by the single "Happy?", which was noted for intricate guitar arrangements. Tracks like "Choices" were described by Gray as an "eight-minute opus."
That August saw former bassist Shawn Barclay’s band Sprung issue their first album. Speculation arose about Bullygoat Records issuing an Alice in Chains tribute album featuring Mudvayne among others; however, representatives from both Alice in Chains and Mudvayne dismissed these rumors.
In September, Mudvayne collaborated with director Darren Lynn Bousman on the soundtrack for Saw II, which included their song "Forget to Remember". Bousman disclosed that an incident overheard by Gray years earlier at Bob's Big Boy restaurant involving an eye-cutting scene inspired his screenplay for the film. Gray made a brief cameo appearance in Saw II, while the "Forget to Remember" music video incorporated footage from the movie, enhancing the band's presence across different media platforms.
The New Game and Mudvayne (2006–2009)
In 2006, Gray, Tribbett, and Tom Maxwell joined forces with former Pantera and Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul to create the supergroup Hellyeah. On March 8 of the same year, during a Mudvayne and Korn performance at the KBPI Birthday Bash in Denver, a waitress named Nicole LaScalia was injured and subsequently filed a lawsuit against Clear Channel Broadcasting, Live Nation, the University of Denver, as well as members of both Mudvayne and Korn. That summer, Hellyeah’s lineup—Gray, Tribbett, Maxwell, and Paul—recorded their debut album. Following a tour alongside Sevendust, Mudvayne issued the 2007 compilation By the People, for the People, which featured tracks selected by fans. This release debuted at number 51 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, moving roughly 22,000 units in its opening week.
After completing tours with Hellyeah, Gray and Tribbett returned to work with Mudvayne to record The New Game under the guidance of producer Dave Fortman. Released in 2008, Fortman hinted that a follow-up full-length album was expected within six months.
Mudvayne’s fifth studio effort was self-titled and intended as a "white album," distinguished by cover art printed using blacklight paint that only becomes visible under ultraviolet lighting. Recorded during the summer of 2008, Mudvayne was officially released in 2009.
Hiatus (2010–2021)
In 2010, Mudvayne entered a hiatus as Gray and Tribbett committed to touring with Hellyeah; this pause lasted until at least 2014. During this period, Tribbett participated in recording three Hellyeah albums: Hellyeah, Stampede, and Band of Brothers. Meanwhile, Gray contributed to three other Hellyeah releases: Blood for Blood, Unden!able, and Welcome Home. In 2012, bassist Ryan Martinie briefly toured with Korn and subsequently played on Kurai’s debut EP titled Breaking the Broken in 2013. Tribbett eventually departed from Hellyeah in 2014.
Reunion (2021–present)
Mudvayne announced their reunion on April 19, 2021, along with plans for their first live performances in over a decade. These included appearances at festivals such as Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo in Mansfield, Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, and Welcome to Rockville in Florida—confirmed as their sole live shows for that year. A scheduled set at Louder Than Life in Louisville was canceled after Gray and several crew members contracted COVID-19. The band has also indicated intentions to develop new music.
Their reunion extended into summer 2022 with festival appearances at Upheaval Festival in Grand Rapids and Rock Fest in Cadott. This was followed by their first U.S. tour in thirteen years as co-headliners of the Freaks on Parade tour alongside Rob Zombie. During a performance in Tampa, Gray experienced a notable fall from the stage while playing "Not Falling," describing the event as both "amazing" and "unbelievable."
On August 27, 2025, Mudvayne released "Hurt People Hurt People," marking their first new track since reuniting.
Musical style and influences
Mudvayne is distinguished by its intricate musical arrangements that utilize complex time signatures and polyrhythms. The band incorporates "number symbolism," aligning specific riffs with lyrical content. Their sound fuses genres including death metal, jazz, jazz fusion, progressive rock, speed metal, thrash metal, and world music.
Their influences span a wide array of artists such as Tool, Pantera, King Crimson, Genesis, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Carcass, Deicide, Emperor (Norwegian band), Miles Davis, Black Sabbath, Rush, Metallica, Slayer, Korn, and Deftones. Additionally, the band drew creative inspiration from Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey during the production of L.D. 50.
While Mudvayne has self-identified with terms like "math rock" and "math metal," drummer Matthew McDonough has downplayed these labels by emphasizing that they do not consider themselves pioneers within those genres. Critics have categorized their music across various styles including alternative metal, nu metal, experimental metal, extreme metal, hard rock, heavy metal, math metal, groove metal, neo-progressive metal/rock as well as progressive rock and progressive metal. Eli Enis of Revolver magazine observed that Mudvayne’s distinctive combination of nu-metal, alternative metal, progressive elements, and hard rock remains unparalleled.
Appearance
While Mudvayne gained recognition for their distinctive look, Gray consistently prioritized music over visuals. Upon the release of L.D. 50, the band adopted makeup inspired by horror films for their performances. Initially, Epic Records promoted the group by emphasizing their logo rather than the individual members, but the band's unique appearance and music videos helped bring attention to L.D. 50. Early on, the members used stage names such as Kud, sPaG, Ryknow, and Gurrg. At the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, where they secured the MTV2 Award for "Dig," Mudvayne appeared dressed in white suits featuring makeup that simulated bloody bullet wounds. Following 2002, the band altered their makeup style from vibrant face paint to designs resembling alien motifs for promotional images and updated their stage aliases to Chüd, Güüg, Rü-D, and Spüg; however, they maintained their horror-themed makeup during live shows. The band explained that their elaborate makeup provided a visual enhancement to their sound and set them apart from other metal acts. From 2003 until their breakup, Mudvayne mostly discontinued the use of makeup to prevent being compared to Slipknot. When they reunited in 2021, they reinstated makeup for live performances.
Band members
Current members
- Greg Tribbett (also known as Gurrg, Güüg) – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Matthew McDonough (also known as sPaG, Spüg) – drums, keyboards
- Chad Gray (also known as Kud, Chüd) – lead vocals
- Ryan Martinie (also known as Ryknow, Rü-D) – bass
Touring musicians
- Marcus Rafferty – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Former members
- Shawn Barclay – bass
Discography
Studio albums
- L.D. 50 (2000)
- The End of All Things to Come (2002)
- Lost and Found (2005)
- The New Game (2008)
- Mudvayne (2009)
Awards and nominations
MTV Video Music Awards |- | 2001 || "Dig" || MTV2 Award ||
Grammy Awards |- | 2006 || "Determined" || Best Metal Performance ||