Like many bands, STEREOMUD is a group of guys who seem perpetually on the verge of hitting big. There are some enormously talented musicians in the group, and their writing is strong. Massive success has eluded them thusfar simply because I think they haven't been able to hit any home-runs in the game of writing-radio-friendly-singles. This isn't to say that they CAN'T. I'm just saying they haven't...yet.
I was fanatical about their first disc, Perfect Self, and the lead single "Pain". Every band that a Lowery brother seems to associate himself with is doing something I dig musically. Corey Lowery, bassist for Steremud, and Clint Lowery, guitarist for SEVENDUST, create some of the chunkiest, angriest, grittiest songs on in rock, AND they gravitate toward amazing singers, too. Vocalist Erik Rogers really conveys anguish and gut-wrenching torment when he belts out songs, as does Lajon Witherspoon in Sevendust. The only thing Stereomud hasn't been able to do is come up with consistent hummable hooks to go along with rib-cracking riffs.
The first single off Every Given Moment "Breathing" is well-done, but not the best song on the disc. The first track, "Show Me" is really the song that should be tearing up radio, but isn't...at least not at the moment. It's got a great hook, and the guitar work by John Fattoruso and Joey Z's is just brutal. This is the kind of songwriting they need more of, and there are specks of it on Every Given Moment. Rogers is definitely "singing" more on this disc, but he's got his moments where he sounds like he's gutting a pig while singing... like "Define This" is very Sevendust-ish with it's growling...the same goes for "Anything But Jesus"...another potential single.
While Every Given Moment might not break any sales records, it's a solid record with some really good hooks...and it's a good indication that Stereomud COULD be huge if they fine-tune their songwriting machine just a little bit.
