Mudvayne‘s decision to take 2026 off was a somewhat unexpected development, as the progressive nü-metal band had been making up for lost time in recent years since reuniting in 2021. With that momentum picking up, the band even rolled out their first new songs in some 16 years.
However, given that guitarist Greg Tribbett‘s wife passed away in September of 2025, that the band would require some time off was entirely understandable. Per a recent interview with Full Metal Jackie (via Loudwire) though, it would appear that thus far that hiatus may also extend into 2027 as well.
The band’s vocalist Gray recently spoke with Jackie of the band’s current downtime and how it led him to embark on his first-ever solo touring this year. Those sets have seen him covering material from both the Mudvayne and HELLYEAH catalogs. Gray stated:
“I knew that we talked about taking 2026 off and I’m like, ‘I should probably do something,’ ’cause I have a feeling when I’m deep into 2026 I’m still not gonna have heard anything about 2027 and that’s kinda where I’m at right now.
Like, I haven’t really heard anything about, ‘Okay, big plans in 2027.’ There have been mutterings that that’s it. So I’m like kind of kinda glad I did this. ‘Cause I just don’t wanna sit at home. That’s not where I’m happy, sitting on the couch doing nothing.
I like to be onstage and I like to be touring and playing and doing it with great players and great friends and standing in front of my greatest friends and having my greatest friends stand in front of me and that’s where I wanna be.”
Gray also went on to say that he’s keeping the door open to his solo touring project potentially evolving into a new creative outlet. He said of that:
“If this looks like it could be something more, I might create some new music. I might write some new music, just solo stuff. I still am doing Mudvayne. I still wanna do Mudvayne. But I’m loving doing this because I’m having the opportunity to play Hellyeah music again. But I’m still very much in Mudvayne and I’m still doing Mudvayne. We’ll see what happens with more new music from Mudvayne, but you know, hopefully I’ll be able to. It’s just all gonna depend on how it’s received, honestly. But if it does well and the tour is great, then that’s kind of a no-brainer. Then maybe I should do it. But time will tell.”
An abundance of immediate solo shows are still in store for Gray this year, primarily via the below headlining run with Butcher Babies & Devil’s Cut:
08/28 Bloomington, IL – The Castle Theater
08/29 Kansas City, MO – VooDoo at Harrah’s Kansas City
08/30 Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s
09/01 St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall
09/02 Lincoln, NE – The Bourbon Theatre
09/03 Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
09/05 Milwaukee, WI – The Rave/Eagles Club – Eagles Ballroom
09/06 Chicago, IL – Outset
09/08 Cadillac, MI – The Venue
09/09 Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
09/11 Boston, MA – Big Night Live
09/12 Huntington, NY – The Paramount
09/14 Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts
09/15 New York, NY – Irving Plaza
09/17 McKees Rocks, PA – Rosina Theatre Presented by Citizens
09/18 Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life Festival
10/02 Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival
10/04 Los Angeles, CA – The Bellwether
10/05 San Diego, CA – House of Blues
10/06 Santa Ana, CA – Observatory OC
10/10 San Antonio, TX – The Aztec Theatre
10/11 Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
10/12 Dallas, TX – The Studio at The Factory
10/14 New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
10/16 Clearwater, FL – OCC Road House & Museum – Music Hall
10/18 Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte – The Underground
10/19 Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre
10/20 Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl
