Staind
Break The Cycle
(Elektra)
By: Jeff Leisawitz - ModernRock.com
Staind is a heavy band. In almost every way there is weight and gravity in the music. From the tractor-trailer guitar distortions and thud happy bass assaults to the rapid fire drum lines, Staind makes their presence known— both live and on CD.
On the band's latest disc, Break the Cycle, singer Aaron Lewis screams and whispers while his boys rally behind him. On "It's Been Awhile" he bares his soul for all to hear. "It's been awhile since I could say that I wasn't addicted/ Since I could say that I love myself as well."
The purging of demons is one of the things that Lewis does well so it's no surprise that many of the tracks here emerge as sonic therapy. "Open Your Eyes" points an accusing finger at the status quo while "Waste" details the aftermath of a senseless suicide.
Although Staind makes a point with excessive volume on many songs, some of their best tracks drop to subtle shades of melody and music. Songs like "Epiphany" melt and turn with quiet beat loops and sparse oceans of sound. But the undercurrent is still heavy. "I am nothing more than a little boy inside/ That cries out for attention."
At the moment, the album is cruising up the charts due in part to the surprise acoustic single, "Outside," which was recorded live and released on the Family Values Tour '99 CD. A full studio version of the track is available on this disc.
For Staind, all of the demons and distortions add up to a solid record. Break the Cycle pushes heat, power and aggression to the edge. While other bands hack it up with studio effects, narrow minded songwriting and cheap gimmicks, Staind continues to rock hard as one of the rising stars of the modern rock set.
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