With THE NEW PSYCHODALIA (out this week via Suburban Noize Records), MUSHROOMHEAD’s JEFFREY NOTHING brings listeners his first full-length solo effort. A few years in the works, the debut album from NOTHING serves up nearly an hour’s worth of music in a set that contains a lucky 13 songs that manage to both captivate and disturb.
Jeff’s unmistakable voice finds new territory to travel here, with more sonic variation than MRH typically offers. From the schizophrenic riffing of Sin ‘O Cism (a little SYSTEM OF A DOWN-ish) to the techno-bass of Devil, there’s a lot of musical exploration taking place. The voice of Church of Satanfounder Anton LaVey opens Goodbye, and his words about “abstinence vs. indulgence” are eerily appropriate when used in the context of THE NEW PSYCHODALIA – an album which allows NOTHING to himself indulge in musical pursuits that may have been held back from the confines of his primary band.
There’s a straight-forward rocker called Eyez of the Righteous, while Enough brings a little hip-hop flavor into the mix. The shift at 3:41 in Wormwood is impressive, capping off what is one of my favorite songs on the record. Despite all the good, Darkseed stands out as the worst song on the album – mainly due to production. The instrumental track comes off like something from a cheap Halloween CD as played through Chip Davis’ Moog.
THE NEW PSYCHODALIA plays a little uneven at times, but over the course of repeated listens those rough patches find themselves smoothed over. October is the perfect month for this to have been released. I’d be surprised if the sounds of NOTHING aren’t permeating the darkness of at least a few haunted attractions this season.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
