MUSHROOMHEAD To World-Premiere 'Kill Tomorrow' Video

Cleveland-based art-metal octet MUSHROOMHEAD will premiere their self-lensed video for "Kill Tomorrow" on August 5 at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time via their web site, www.mushroomhead.com. The clip will be available during a brief 30-minute to one-hour window, and henceforth on DVD.

The super-creative, visually driven band self-produced, shot, directed and edited the entire clip, which appears on their landmark DVD release, "Volume 1" (slated for August 9 release on the band's The Filthy Hands Company label). "Kill Tomorrow" marks the first time MUSHROOMHEAD shot its own video — an event that, considering the band's ultra hands-on approach on everything from their music to their stage design to their business, was imminent. The track is from their most recent full-length release, "XIII" (Universal).

Drummer Skinny says the band learned the craft of music video direction from director/photographer Dean Karr (GODSMACK, COAL CHAMBER, CYPRESS HILL),who shot their video for "Solitaire/Unraveling" (from 2000's "XX" album). "He rocks!" Skinny enthuses. "It was a great learning experience." He furthers that the clip's "dark, dirty, abandoned" feel reflects MUSHROOMHEAD's collective personality and "looks great back-to-back with the other videos."

MUSHROOMHEAD financed the DVD project entirely themselves, says Skinny. They reinvested their album advances in “some bad-ass stuff” including cameras, editing equipment, computers and books on cinematography, which they knew would come in handy someday. "We knew that the label well might run dry one day and that we would want to do our own thing again," he says, "so we built a fantastic production studio, one piece at a time."

As with any other MUSHROOMHEAD project, the band pooled their artistic talents — several members, including Skinny, are trained visual artists — to create a singular aesthetic that spotlights the visual aspect of the band. Yet, in copious behind-the-scenes footage, the band allows its fans see them without their trademark masks and makeup. Skinny says the intent is to bond with the fans, let them see the people behind MUSHROOMHEAD's intense stage presence. "We're not that hardcore about concealing our identities," he says, adding that the point of the music with masks, makeup and costumes has been to offer a multi-sensory experience. He believes MUSHROOMHEAD fans will enjoy the intimacy of seeing the real guys behind the masks "just screwing around." Running time on the film is 70 minutes.

MUSHROOMHEAD just launched a headline tour featuring their new vocalist Waylon, replacing J-Mann, who left the band late last year. Also featuring DOPE and CROSSBREED, the Music for FREEdom tour is sponsored by Jagermeister and offers free admission to all military personnel.