Album DescriptionAvailable in:
"Welcome to Galvania" is the fifth studio album by American rock band Puddle of Mudd. The album marks the bands first official full length studio album of new material in a decade since their 2009 Volume 4: Songs in the Key of Love & Hate. It is their first release of any new material since 2011's re:(disc)overed, a compliation album of covers. Welcome to Galvania was released worldwide September 13, 2019 on the Pavement label.
User Album Review
The stalwart post-grunge/nu-metal outfit's first collection of new music in a decade, Welcome to Galvania sees Puddle of Mudd, or more specifically Wes Scantlin, attempting a rebirth of sorts. The newly sober frontman is seeking redemption via decibels and confronting his past in ways that flip the traditional Puddle of Mudd approach to writing lyrics on its head. Listeners expecting frat-party metal tropes in the vein of past glories like "She Hates Me" and "Blurry" will be disappointed, as Scantlin and company are looking to atone for their misdeeds instead of building sonic temples to them. Punchy opener "You Don't Know" chronicles the struggle, while the radio-ready follow-up "Uh Oh" moves on to the acceptance stage, leaving the slow-burning closer "Slide Away" to mop up the mess with some hard-won advice. Scantlin's nasally Kurt Cobain-aping delivery remains as divisive as ever, especially on songs like "Go to Hell" and "Sunshine," where the affectation feels almost intentionally comedic. A few of the songs, namely "Just Tell Me" and "My Kind of Crazy," cast their lines into significantly more commercial waters, opting for strummy, midtempo balladry over muscle while retaining the predictable turns of phrase, agreeable melodies, and workmanlike execution that have served as the band's foundation since they emerged on the scene in the early 2000s. Welcome to Galvania is Puddle of Mudd's most mature and self-reflective outing to date, but while the message may have changed, the song remains the same.
Reviewed by James Christopher Monger for allmusic.com.
External Album Reviews
None...
User Comments