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Staind - The Illusion Of Progress
| Courant |
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Staind was among the late-'90s bands that made a career of marrying blustery metal guitar riffs to droning, minor-key vocals on angry, cathartic songs that resonated particularly with disaffected teenage boys. The formula has helped the band sell more than 12 million records worldwide and put Staind atop the charts and on the radio thanks to stern ballads like "Outside" and "It's Been Awhile." After five studio albums, though, the formula had become what most formulas become when applied to a creative enterprise: limiting....full text |
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| Boston |
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Bay State band Staind has been a doom-and-gloom rock icon but is finally breaking out of its angst bubble. The news flash is that this Staind album (sixth overall) has more upbeat songs. Only about half of the 13 tracks qualify, but that marks real progress for the band, not just the illusion of it, to quote the title. Most of all, the music packs as much punch as ever - and more variety, as Staind sometimes departs from its rock-metal power ballads for tunes that suggest Pink Floyd ("The Corner" is psychedelia enhanced by a female chorus and guitarist Mike Mushok doing his best David Gilmour impression) and even Brit band Oasis in the chiming-guitar pop of "All I Want."...full text |
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| Billboard |
| The title of Staind's sixth album is a bit of a misnomer, but there are a few new stylistic directions here. A gospel choir backs Aaron Lewis' soulful vocals on "The Corner," while Eastern guitar flavors and drum loops swirl through "Breakaway." "All I Want" and lead single "Believe" are not only as poppy as Staind has ever gotten but are also among the most positive and optimistic lyrics Lewis has penned, while "Tangled Up in You" is an unapologetic love song built on acoustic guitar and strings. While the set is bookended by the out-and-out rockers "This Is It," "The Way I Am" and the album-closing "Rainy Day Parade," Staind's stock in trade is still the midtempo arrangement with the laid-back verse swelling into a big, anthemic chorus as found on "Save Me," "Pardon Me," "Lost Along the Way" and "Raining Again."...full text |
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