The Beginning of All Things to End

Alternative metal upstarts Mudvayne re-released their original independent EP, Kill, I Oughtta, along with live tracks and remixes in the winter of 2001 as The Beginning of All Things to End. The EP, which was originally released in 1997, paints a slightly different picture of the band. The songs are reminiscent of '90s alternative metal groups like Mind Funk and Paw, blending stronger melodies and catchier riffs than the material on L.D. 50. Especially good is the growling "Some Assembly Required," which sounds like Jonathan Davis singing for Life of Agony. The only real low point of the songs from the EP is "Poop Loser," a song that so blatantly rips off the chorus to Korn's "Divine" that it only makes the song sound weak and sad. As far as the other songs, the two live tracks ("Central Disposal" and "Coal") are almost exactly the same as the album versions, albeit murkier and longer. The two remixes of "Dig" are nothing to write home about, with only the "Everything and Nothing Remix" standing out as something significantly different from the original. Finally, the album ends with the 17-minute "L.D. 50," the full-length version of the bizarre sound collage that appears in clips on their major-label debut. The collage might be the best thing on the album, if only because it sounds very different and new compared to the other material. Fans may disagree, but this is essentially just as good as L.D. 50, if not better. The songs are all pretty solid; some of the better songs from that album even appear here anyway. Anyone looking to get into this band might as well start here; it showcases several different aspects of their music and their songwriting may have even been a bit stronger before the major labels came knocking.