stereomud

“There’s no more looking back at the Life of Agony/Stuck Mojo days. That book is shut. Those chapters are closed,” states Stereomud’s bassist Corey Lowery. And while fans may be morning the loss of the previously mentioned groups, their grief will be temporary as Stereomud is sure to fill the void.

Stereomud grew out of the frustrations and limitations that Lowery (Stuck Mojo), guitarist Joey Z. (Life of Agony) and drummer Dan Richardson (Life of Agony, Pro-Pain) experienced in their former bands. The musicians instantly clicked and soon began the search for a singer and a second guitarist to complete their new project. As fate would dictate, the ambitious threesome was soon contacted by Erik Rogers, a vocalist with a versatile set of pipes who resided in Atlanta Georgia. “At the time Erik was playing in a band with my younger brother Dustin,” says Lowery. “When he called for the audition I turned him down because I didn’t want to take him away from my brother’s project.” However, Dustin was fully aware of Erik’s potential and told his brother to give the talented vocalist a chance. Sure enough, Erik’s bruising yet melodic vocals proved to be a perfect match for Stereomud’s powerfully explosive sound. “The chemistry was there right off the bat,” Lowery quips excitedly. “We knew within the first two minutes that he was the one. Erik’s got a great voice, great look, and a great attitude.” Finding another guitar player proved to be just as easy. John Fattorusso, a long-time friend of Dan Richardson, phoned and said, “Let me have an audition. This is my job.” “And it was his job,” notes Lowery. “He got the gig immediately.”

With the members in place all Stereomud needed was a label and within a year the band found a home at a most unusual place – Loud Records, a label that caters to hip-hop music. According to Lowery the band played a number of showcases and “afterwards the A&R reps would come up to us and tell us how much they loved the band and the songs. So we asked them to sing one of our songs or at least a chorus, but no one could except for the rep from Loud Records. He said, “Which one?” and went down the list.” That response convinced Stereomud that the folks at Loud loved their music as much as they did. Feeling confident that Loud understood their vision the enthusiastic outfit signed on the dotted line.

Stereomud’s ability to proficiently blend the intensity and fury of hard rock with melodic interludes is exhibited in their debut, Perfect Self. The guitar driven rockers that make up the energetic effort range from potent, pissed-off anthems to infectiously melodic tunes.

“We have a commercial edge but we are heavy at the same time,” adds Lowery, “which gives us the ability to inject a little more heaviness into the radio and bring a darker vibe to the airwaves,”

The band’s unusual moniker was provided courtesy of S.O.D.’s Billy Milano, who walked into the studio while the group was recording and said, “You guys sound like Stereomud.” At the time the band didn’t have a name, but Stereomud seemed be appropriate. “We have two Southern boys and three New Yorkers in the band, so I guess it’s like mixing bagels and grits,” the bassists states in a jovial manner. “[The name] works.”