Mudvayne prove they’re perfectionists with re-mixed comeback singles

You might have noticed some noticeable alterations if you’ve lately listened to Mudvayne‘s two 2025 return singles on services like Spotify, Apple Music, and others, as per theprp. The newly remixed and remastered versions of those songs, “Sticks And Stones” and “Hurt People Hurt People,” seem to have been surreptitiously published on multiple streaming sites by the gold-certified nu metal stars.

These two songs, which were released in August and September of last year, respectively, were the band’s first new releases in sixteen years. The mix and processing of both songs were criticized so much that some fans thought they were actually demo recordings. That presumption has now been refuted, though.

Josh Wilbur, a well-known producer and mixer with a discography that includes Lamb of God, Korn, Avenged Sevenfold, and more, created the original mixes for those songs. But Dave Fortman was in charge of the fresh mixes that were just quietly released from the band’s camp.

The latter has collaborated with Evanescence, Slipknot, and Mudvayne on “Lost and Found” and “The New Game,” among other projects. The following was stated regarding the incident in a Reddit post that was ascribed to Fortman on January 17.

The original mixes weren’t demos. They were mixed by Josh Wibur but the band wasn’t happy with the results and the fans were unhappy as well according to feedback I got from their management. They called me to remix them so I took the same approach that I mixed ‘Lost And Found‘ with. Seems to have worked! Glad you guys are digging it. I threw an entirely different spin on the intro and break of ‘Sticks And Stones‘ with added piano notes and strings. Nothing has been rerecorded thats just me laying some ‘tickles’ in there. Enjoy!

The revised mixes can be listened below, however it doesn’t seem like the updated audio has been made available via the YouTube uploads (see below). Indirectly addressing the issue, Mudvayne revealed that the decision to remix the tracks appears to have contributed to the postponement of the songs’ July release.

Thank you for ordering the Sticks & Stone/Hurt People Hurt People 7″ vinyl. We understand how much you are looking forward to getting yours and have an update on its status.

Due to our desire to make the audio perfect, mastering took longer than planned. In addition, an unanticipated production delay in the vinyl world means the new delivery date is early April 2026.

If you want to keep your order, no action is needed. You will get an email once it ships. To cancel, please contact our customer service team for help.

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