Stereomud's major label debut, "Perfect Self", is a fiery dosage of double fisted modern metal that hasn't sounded this soulfully adamant or authentically pissed off in quite some time. Full of thick dirty grooves and gravel crunch vocals, the band rip through track after track with no intention of looking back, all the while striking a fine balance between melody and aggression, somewhat similar the likes of a more accessible Sevendust or Life Of Agony.

Vocally, band frontman Erik tears through his parts with hoarse yet polished barks that are traded with carefully inserted soulfully melodic croons, capitalizing upon verbal dynamics and ensuring a well rounded vocal attack. He also possesses a conviction and an almost deep south grit very reminiscent of Sevendust's Lajon Witherspoon, causing his empowered tones and strong words to have little trouble snaring the listeners attention like a helpless animal. Meanwhile, the guitars slam out vicious riffs full of distortion and intensity, using sharp grooves to keep the songs on track and although they do indulge in the occasional sonic experimentation, overall a striking sense of urgency is retained, showing shades of Sevendust and perhaps even Stuck Mojo, a band who's ties run deep when considering that Stereomud's bassist Corey Lowery is in fact a former member. As such, bass playing is a slight bit downtuned and is fairly focused upon following both the guitars and drums lead to establish an incredibly tight rhythm section, only heightened by the pitbull like percussion which relentlessly hammers out crisp beats that nearly shove the listener back a half step with each hit.

Admittedly, the group do have a lot of points of interest, with bassist Corey Lowery having spent time in Stuck Mojo, not to mention also being the brother of Clint Lowery of Sevendust. Guitarist Joey Z. and drummer Dan Richardson also have a rich past, having been members of the seminal NY band Life Of Agony. Yet, despite that these connections may attract the interest of fans keen on the aforementioned groups past works, Stereomud still have more than enough personality of their own to stand out in the crowd. The songs are crushing and practically become auditory battering rams throughout their duration, being constantly recharged with the incorporation of a healthy burst of melody here and there. Unfortunately though, as a whole the group don't offer much in terms of drastic variation from song to song, causing them to almost become like a raging bull with its horns stuck in the wall. There are some interesting aspects here and there and a slew of compelling moments, but for the most part, they seem to take the back seat to overall song continuity. One aspect worthy of mention here however, is the odd concept like track listing that the band have assembled. Using the occasional melodic interlude that foreshadows the 23rd track, "Perfect Self", they build up a sense of intrigue that carries on until the closing song does finally land, taking shape as a pleasant auditory surprise which showcases acoustics, programming and a bare bones stripped down aesthetic that is both charming and infectious. Without question these boys are onto something that could take them places and with a rock solid debut like this under their belts, they are already well upon their way. Sure, they may occasionally get a bit stuck in the proverbial mud, at times only making small amounts of progress on their journey to hit the main road, but make no mistake about it, the engine strapped under their hood has more than enough horsepower to plow its way through and with a more expansive mindset behind the wheel, perhaps with their eventual sophomore effort, they will.