Place System of a Down and Pantera in a very small room playing at the same time and each trying to dominate the sonic tapestry of the room and the result is a close approximation of Mushroomhead XX. The result is loud, powerful, nerve-shredding music that leaves the listener reeling.

There is good reason that this assemblage of musicians sounds like two bands playing at once; it nearly is. There are enough members in this group to build at least two fairly complete bands, including two vocalists with very distinctive styles. The result is a massive chunk of music with a feel comparable to chewing through a plank of oak.

All that said, Mushroomhead is far better than they have any right to be. The result of their efforts is solid, heavy, and pounding while not completely abandoning some real musical skill. Then again, as large a band as it is, someone should have some skill.

While Mushroomhead is a band that is not at all without flaws, songwriting being one of them, they are well deserving of some space in a collection of hard rock.

Grade: B