Release Date: April 19, 2005
The Matchbox 20 singer's solo debut follows the same line that Thomas discovered with "Smooth" - a song recorded with Santana.

In the same pop/rock vein, Thomas sings mostly about heartache and heartbreak.

The first single, "Lonely No More," has a Justin Timberlake feel to it. The rest of the album doesn't stray far from that sound.

He finds moments of rock on "I am an Illusion" and mellower moments on "When the Heartache Ends."

In a recent VH1 interview, Thomas said he's only taking a year or year and a half for his solo career, and then he'll be back with Matchbox 20.

Thomas is a good singer that has yet to find his niche. He's a decent rock singer and a decent solo artist, but nothing (yet) makes him stand out from the crowd.

Release date: April 12, 2005
Mudvayne won the MTV2 award a few years back - accepting the award in makeup and costumes - and then disappeared from the MTV landscape.

Their latest release, "Lost and Found," should give them a first-class ticket to the mainstream.

"Determined" and "Pushing Through" kick off the album with traditional nice metal stress-relievers - hard drums, screaming, rough guitar.

The band's first single - "Happy?" -is more melodic and could land the band more airplay. It has a more mellow introduction with softer guitars, that develop into something harder.

While the band has lost the makeup and "stage names" for their new album, they seem to stay true to their metal roots.

"Fall into Sleep" is melodic as well, and may find its way out as a second single.

It seems like more and more metal bands - think Slipknot - are making their way into the mainstream, and Mudvayne could be next.

I hadn't heard much Mudvayne in the past, but the new album is quickly moving up my list of favorites of 2005.

Posted by jeffhahnedisabled at April 24, 2005 10:24 AM