Over fifteen years have passed since Staind came together and released their first album 'Tormented', which highlighted a heavy style that melded together post-grunge and a lot of anger. With each successful album release, the band's songs shifted towards a more deliberately paced and emotional songs, detailing the changes they have all been through. With the dropping of their seventh album, self titled 'Staind', the band has come full circle and back to their roots to help even out the discography with an explosive release.
Everything that 'Chapter V' and 'The Illusion of Progress', 'Staind' is not. It is almost the anit-thesis to what the band has been doing for years now, and it is fantastic. Without holding back, 'Eyes Wide Open' starts the album by kicking your ear drums with shredding guitar and disgruntled screaming from front man Aaron Lewis, whom has one of the most diverse and artistic voices of rock today. All this on top of meaningful lyrics really starts the entire CD off strong and helps lead the way into the radio release 'Not Again'. Themes of anger run through the songs, but not in the same sense as before. The band has grown up and over the years has shifted this anger. It's no longer self loathing frustration, but anger towards a person or persons for holding them back for so long. It's directed in a sense that it is almost productive, and it makes the album more uplifting in that sense rather than degrading or depressing. Impressive guitar play is also show cased, mixing a style of heavy metal from the 80's and current style to create creative, but short lived rifts that help accentuate the songs rather than bogging them down, such as in the middle of 'Not Again'. To cap it off perfectly, the band switches to a slower, more deliberately paced finale, 'Something to Remind You', that consists of minimalistic style of play that truly wraps the album in a way that is hard to find in most modern CD's.
As I have described to so many of my friends, this album feels like it consists of the pent up anger from the band from the passed three albums and is presented as such. Pretty much every song has screaming in it (with the exception of the final song) and therefore may turn off a lot of the band's more recent fans. Personally, I think this CD is amazing. I haven't been able to stop listening to it since I have bought it and I intend fully to continue listening to it well passed the 29th of this month when I get to see them live. I recommend this highly to any Staind fan or any fan who felt the band had fallen off with the passed few releases. You will not be disappointed.
Here's a few links to give you more information about the band:
The official Site: http://www.staind.com/
The Wiki Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staind
The Music Video for 'Not Again': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnQJLU8tnsk
Recommended Tracks:
'Something to Remind You', 'The Bottom', 'Paper Wings', 'Eyes Wide Open'
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