Michael Mushok (born April 10, 1970) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist for the

nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...

band Staind. He is a member of supergroup Saint Asonia and played in the band Newsted.

Life and career

Mushok was born in Ludlow, Massachusetts on April 10, 1970. He formed Staind in

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, th ...

in 1995 with Aaron Lewis, Johnny April, and Jon Wysocki. In 1997, before Staind was set to perform an opening concert set, headlining band

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...

's frontman Fred Durst confronted them regarding seemingly Satanic cover artwork on their debut album '' Tormented''. The band convinced Durst that the image did not convey devil worship and their performance that evening impressed him enough that he signed them to Flip Records. Staind released the albums ''Dysfunction'' in 1999, '' Break the Cycle'' in 2001, '' 14 Shades of Grey'' in 2003, ''Chapter V'' in 2005, '' The Singles: 1996–2006'' in 2006, '' The Illusion of Progress'' in 2008, and their self-titled album in 2011 before going on hiatus in 2012. In 2014, Staind began to tour again briefly before going on a second hiatus. They reunited for a one-off set in August 2017 and again on an ongoing basis in September 2019. In 2013, Mushok joined heavy metal band Newsted, fronted by former

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

bassist Jason Newsted. After Newsted disbanded in 2014, and while Lewis pursued a solo career, Mushok joined Saint Asonia in 2015.

Personal life

Mushok is married and has two children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mushok, Mike Living people 1970 births Guitarists from Massachusetts People from Ludlow, Massachusetts Lead guitarists Alternative metal musicians American heavy metal musicians Alternative metal guitarists Staind members 21st-century American guitarists Saint Asonia members