Artist: The Mudbloods
Album: Out of the Forbidden Forest
Release Date: May 2006

Reviewed by Liz.

After hearing only a few seconds of “Ode to Broom” back in December or January I knew instantly that I loved The Mudbloods. I was immediately struck by the vocal styling of Brandon McCullough. His voice is not only crisp and pleasant but unique. Recognizable. I was also pleased with the use of multiple instruments in their songs. The majority of wizard rock acts at the time consisted of one or two people playing a few instruments and substituting those they lacked with synthetics. I obviously don’t dislike the fact that they do this, but the fact that the songs of The Mudbloods contained guitars, bass, harmonicas, accordion, piano, drums, and more, was simply refreshing and invigorating to me at the time.

While they released four songs on their MySpace profile, it was not until I ordered and received this album that I thought amazingly of their lyrics as well. “Harry’s Lament” is especially touching. Here is a sample verse:

I wear this scar upon my head
Like a heart upon my sleeve
I never knew my mom and dad
When I was young, they had to leave
Because an evil man he came
And he tried to take my life
But my mom and dad they stood up
And they put up a good fight
But in the end
It was my life they spared

And my favorite part:

So come and take me
To where I can be safe
Because Hagrid tells me
That here I can be safe
So I’ll stay up in my dorm
And I’ll sleep the night away
Because I’ve never felt this safe before
And now I am okay
Because I finally have some friends
Who will stick with me to the end
And now I’ll stay here
As long as I can

If that doesn’t truly encapsulate what fans love about the Potter series as well as our collective sensation of what it must be like to go to Hogwarts nothing does.

“Imperius Regrets” is possibly the most emotional song in all of wizard rock. It’s really quite incredible, and the lyrics alone do not adequately represent the devastating beauty of it:

I was a gardener in this sleepy little town
Three kids and a husband all my own
I always did what I could
To live the life a good herbologist should
And three of them came to my home
The last thing I remember, one word
Imperio

And then:

I swear I didn’t do it
Yeah you know it was not me
Who crucio-ed my daughter
And then murdered both my sons
And my poor old husband
Never even saw the wand

The song grows to a desperate crescendo before petering out helplessly, being entirely emotive of the subject matter.

Out of the Forbidden Forest is an all-around fabulous CD. “Cho Chang” is a catchy love song from Harry’s perspective. “Daytrip to Hogsmeade” and “Wizard Weezes’ Radio Hour” join the throng of ballads in tribute of the places we all wish to spend our weekends. “Ginny and Me” is a sweet tune about flying through the air with your favorite girl. The title of the fourth track on the album is “Ode to Broom or I Want to Tell You I Love You But Don’t Know How.” It’s one of the catchiest and most sing-along-able songs of the album, not to mention harmonious. I am also partial to it due to my fascination with racing brooms (quidditch rules!). But I digress.

“Voldemort, A Love Song” is particularly fascinating. I can’t recall another song that so deeply examines the Dark Lord’s feelings. He’s really just a guy with problems and this is his song. Another bit of trivia for you is that track number six also has an exceedingly long title. While displayed on their MySpace as “Concerning the Dementors on the Shore of the Black Lake” (which, of course, is not entirely displayed), the rest of the title is “If the Dementors Take Me In My Sleep, Give My Invisibility Cloak to Ron.” It’s another great song, truly, and is unspecific enough that the average person would not recognize it as a wizard rock song. It is emotive of the instance, the thoughts of the characters, and lacks the details of “Harry” or “Ron” or “Ack, the dementors,” because it really doesn’t need them. It doesn’t need them in a very beautiful way. It makes you the one experiencing it as opposed to being a narrative of the story. Granted, the line “I see a flaming white stag” seems out of place in an ordinary song, but I think you know what I mean.

In addition to the songs mentioned already, the CD also includes a short hypothetical discussion between band members over Harry’s “power of love” as well as a secret track. It’s a wizard rap and it’s downright fantastic.

In closing, I believe that it is obvious how much I adore this album. While I listen to all wizard rock and I currently have 7 other wizard rock albums, there are only three that I listen to on a practically weekly basis. Out of the Forbidden Forest is one of these three. I really, really love it and I eagerly look forward to new releases from the Mudbloods. If you are a gigantic fan of wizard rock, your collection is incomplete without this album. It is an investment that all genuine fans will appreciate and enjoy for a long time to come.

To purchase a copy of Out of the Forbidden Forest, hop on over to The Mudbloods’s MySpace.