Mushroomhead – A Wonderful Life (2020)

July 17, 2020

Despite not really being interested in the band’s output for many years, Jeff Hatrix’s departure from Mushroomhead felt like a gut punch, and to me, even with J Mann back in the band, this particular gut punch felt like the final nail in the coffin for a band that was long past their prime. I had little to no hope for A Wonderful Life, and I even considered if I should bother listening at all, but I was pleasantly surprised by lead single “Seen It All” (the second one not so much). The track put new vocalist Steve Rauckhorst front and centre, and I was astounded to find a band that was re-energised.

Don’t get me wrong, at 1 hour 10 minutes and 17 tracks long, A Wonderful Life could do with shedding a few songs, but this album is easily, without a shadow of a doubt the most interesting thing the band has put out since M3. Experimental is probably the wrong word, but there’s a level of maturity here, an abstraction of sorts and gosh darn it even an atmosphere! Remember this is a band that has been phoning it in now for seventeen fucking years solid. What a u-turn!

So do I like A Wonderful Life? I’m not quite so sure. But, I’m absolutely delighted to see that Mushroomhead are back and most importantly, seem to be putting in the work and doing something different and refreshing.