By Cody Thomas

When “Do What You Do” was released for 2008’s “The New Game,” it was easy for Mudvayne fans to dismiss the album. Hell Yeah, Chad Gray and Greg Tribbet’s side project with Vinnie Paul, was still on their mind, resulting in a single with bigger, cheesier rock-and-roll tones. Many Mudvayne fans missed out on a solid album with a lot of good material.

Mudvayne’s most recent self-titled release is a page out of the same book. “Scream With Me,” the album’s first single, is interchangeable with “Do What You Do,” and it instantly disappoints any fan clinging to the raw, technical sounds of the first three albums. After a few listens it’s not so bad, but it’s certainly not enough to get anyone excited.

The opening moments could easily ignite the loyal fans, but “Beautiful and Strange” and “1000 Mile Journey” are only mediocre in comparison to older Mudvayne. The album hits a low with the fourth track, “Closer,” but immediately picks up with “Heard It All Before” and “I Can’t Wait,” Mudvayne’s heaviest material since “Determined.” “Beyond the Pale” shows that the band can embrace the Hell Yeah influence and still make some good music. The album finishes strong with “Out to Pasture,” reminiscent of “Skrying,” and “Burn the Bridge,” plus Mudvayne’s first acoustic song in five albums, “Dead Inside.”

Gray’s vocals are still not what they used to be, and Martinie’s bass playing does not pick up until half way through the album, where it is as good as ever. The album, though, is certainly heavier than Mudvayne’s last release, and fans that stick with it through the first five tracks may just come to find Mudvayne’s career is not as much of a train wreck as it seems.