While Mudvayne fans have no doubt streamed the Grammy-nominated group's comeback singles "Hurt People Hurt People" and "Sticks and Stones," in recent days they have noticed audible differences across digital platforms like Apple Music and Spotify. This is not a mistake. Very quietly and without fanfare, the band uploaded completely new mixes to stream. While no formal announcement has been made, we here at The Nu Metal Agenda had to cover this development.
In the days and weeks following their release, some fans took issue with the songs' mix and overall sound quality. Word made it all way back to the band and they've since reworked the tracks. Producer and mixer Dave Fortman (Evanescence, Godsmack, Slipknot), who helmed the band's 2005 album Lost and Found and 2008's The New Game, was brought on to handle the new mixes.
Eagle-eyed (eared?) fans noticed the news mixes and quickly took to reddit to speculate on the change. Fortman caught wind of the discussion and chimed in to shed light on the situation:
The original mixes weren’t demos. They were mixed by Josh Wilbur 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!
Despite the absence of anything like a press release explicitly about the new mixes, the band did allude to the change when discussing the upcoming Sticks & Stone/Hurt People Hurt People 7″ vinyl 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.
Thanks for your support
Check out the new and improved mixes of "Sticks and Stones" and "Hurt People Hurt People" below. Compare them with original lyric videos to hear the difference.
