STAIND – STAIND
Released 19th September 2011 (Roadrunner Records)

Words: Ryan Cooper

People seem to have something against Staind. Music journalists in particular! So, what the fuck have Staind done to piss everyone off?! I’ll tell you what…absolutely nothing! Okay, they may not be the most ground-breaking and exciting of bands, but they’re good at what they do and they are consistent!

Until now, this consistency has been abused and picked on. Bad reviews were common practice on the eve of a Staind release. But what they’ve hopefully done on this latest offering, is enhance the formula of their Nickelback meets Seether occasionally ‘middle of the road’ music that they have been slammed for in the past. Ultimately, what they’ve done here is created an album that even the sternest of haters will enjoy, even if it is just slightly!

Opener ‘Eyes Wide Open’ shows the album’s personality from the start. Staind sound pissed off and venomous. Turns out that Staind pissed off is a very good sound indeed! Something that is instantly picked up on is the similarity to Stone Sour that some of the songs possess, not that i’m complaining about this! Every song has a catchy chorus, no more so than on ‘Not Now’, with impressive ear grabbing guitars and a chorus so huge that even Adele would struggle to consume it!

Frontman Aaron Lewis has an amazing voice, no doubt! But what’s even better are the heartfelt lyrics that his voice delivers. It makes an so much more special when it’s clear that the person singing to you means every word. This album is heavy in all of the right places, and the slower songs are there too, in just the right ratio. You know when a slow song is so deep it evokes goosebumps? Well album closer ‘Something To Remind You’ is the very definition of “song to stick on a depressing/just-split-up-with-my-soulmate/my-cat-has-just-died/lost relative youtube video”, you know the ones I mean right? The ones where you search for a music video on youtube, and are inundated with these annoying shitely put together powerpoint-esque slideshows! Yeah..those!! Its a cracker of a song though!! Whirring up likenesses to 3 Doors Down, who are kings in this field of music!!

So, if you have any sense, you’ll buy this album. Or at the very least, give it a brief skim! Which will no doubt end in you buying the album, so may as well save some time and just buy it in the first place!!

And let’s all hope that the rest of the music journalism world forgives Staind for doing nothing wrong, and give them the praise they deserve!