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Abrasive (Puddle of Mudd album)
1997 studio album by Puddle of Mudd From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Abrasive is the debut studio album by the American rock band Puddle of Mudd. It was independently released on September 3, 1997, by the now-defunct Hardknocks Records.[2] The album followed the band’s 1994 EP Stuck and includes early versions of several tracks that were later re-recorded for their major-label debut, Come Clean (2001).[3]
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Background and production
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Following the success of their 1994 EP Stuck the band returned to Red House Studio in Lawrence, Kansas in 1996 to begin work on their full-length debut album. By this point, lead guitarist Jimmy Allen had exited the band, resulting in lead singer Wes Scantlin handling most of the songwriting duties himself while also tracking the album's rhythm guitar, with Sean Sammon on bass guitar and Kenny Burkitt on drums.[4]
The sessions were co-produced by the band and local producer E.J. Rose, who had previously produced their debut EPStuck. The band recorded under modest conditions with limited funding and resources, resulting in a raw, post-grunge sound that emphasized distorted guitars, emotionally charged vocals, and straightforward arrangements. The resulting material explored themes of frustration, inner conflict, and emotional volatility.[5]
Tensions within the group gradually surfaced during this period, stemming from creative differences and exhaustion from years of local touring without major industry support. Nevertheless, the band completed recording in 1997, producing an 11-track album.[6] Despite the sense of artistic progress, the period following the album’s release was marked by frustration over the lack of commercial breakthrough.[7] In 1998, bassist Sean Sammon and drummer Kenny Burkitt left the band due to the album's lack of success, ending leaving frontman Wes Scantlin remaining as the group's only original member, which set the stage for a major turning point in the band’s future after his subsequent connection with Fred Durst in 2000.[8][9]
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Composition
Abrasive is a post-grunge album with themes of frustration, emotional turmoil, and disillusionment. Its lo-fi production and gritty guitar work reflect the band's early grunge influence. The album includes early versions of "Abrasive", "Nobody Told Me", "Said", and "Piss It All Away", which would all later be re-recorded for the band's major-label debut album, Come Clean released in 2001, although the newly recorded version of "Abrasive" only appears on the Japanese Edition of the album.[10][11] No songs from debut EP, Stuck, are present on the album. The eleven tracks are noted for their stripped-down arrangements, straightforward song structures, and emotionally charged vocal delivery from Scantlin. Critics and fans have retrospectively pointed to Abrasive as a raw but revealing look at the band’s formative sound prior to its mainstream polish.[12]
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Release and reception
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Abrasive was released independently on September 3, 1997, by Hardknocks Records.[17] The album received little promotion and did not benefit from national distribution or airplay, though “Nobody Told Me” was released as a promotional single a week prior to the album's full release, however, failed to achieve any breakthrough success.[18]
Upon its release, Abrasive received no significant media coverage and was virtually unknown outside of the Midwest music scene. Retrospective commentary has praised the album’s authenticity and raw energy, though its production has often been described as unpolished. Over the nearly three decades since its release, the album has also seen periodic reappraisal from modern and mainstream critics.[19] Retrospective reviews have highlighted its raw production, early glimpses of Wes Scantlin's songwriting style, and the foundational elements that would later be refined in the band’s major-label debut.[20]
In 2023 Guvna Guitars ranked "Abrasive" as Puddle of Mudd's seventh best album of their career.[21]
As of June 2025 Abrasive is ranked at the #234 position on the "greatest post-grunge albums of all time" featured on the Rate Your Music chart.
Aftermath and legacy
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By 1998, after years without major label interest, the band disbanded due to internal disagreements and ongoing frustration. Lead singer Wes Scantlin, then the only remaining member, nearly quit music entirely. However, after attending a 1999 Family Values Tour concert in Kansas City, he managed to use a fake backstage pass to sneak backstage and give a copy of Abrasive to a security guard working for Limp Bizkit's singer Fred Durst.[22] Durst listened to the tape and made contact with Scantlin, and eventually invited him to Los Angeles to rebuild the band.[23]
With Durst's backing, a new version of Puddle of Mudd was formed featuring guitarist Paul Phillips, bassist Doug Ardito, and drummer Greg Upchurch. This lineup would go on to record and release Come Clean in 2001, which featured re-recorded three tracks from Abrasive.[24]
Although the group has discussed interest in re-releasing Abrasive, as of 2025 it has remained an out-of-print rarity and has earned a cult-like following from the band's fans and 1990s grunge enthusiasts. Following the band’s mainstream success in the 2000s and 2010s, original physical copies of Abrasive, which were printed and sold in small quantities, have become highly sought after by collectors.[25]
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Track listing
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Personnel
All credits sourced directly from the album's liner notes.[27]
- Wes Scantlin – lead vocals, guitar, songwriting
- Sean Sammon – bass, backing vocals
- Kenny Burkitt – drums, percussion
Technical personnel
- E.J. Rose - producer
- Wes Scantlin - producer
- Eclipse Graphics And Design – artwork[28]
References
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