Staind - 14 Shades of Grey (with Limited Edition Bonus DVD)
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Free Music Notes for 14 Shades of Grey (with Limited Edition Bonus DVD)
Free Music Review: it's a keeper...
Hit: 5 Stars
honestly. i have heard all of Staind's albums and i think this one is the best out of all of them. it show's how much they have grown not just in they're different styles of music in their songs but also in their personal lives which is wonderful i think. music is a form of expression and its about how you feel, so everyone thats talking [bad] about this album can just eat it cause you probably haven't even sat down and really listend to the lyrics. i think the lyrics on this album are incredible. "Price to Play" is an ok song, reminds me of Break the Cycle, i would have picked a different song to open the album but thats not my choice. B- "How About You" is one of my favorites off this album, it has kind of a poppy feel to it which is different but i listened to it enough that i like it now, the lyrics are very well written. A+ "So Far Away" is like my favoritest of all of my favs. i think this song should have been their 1st single. the song is about reaching your goals and achieving your dreams. this song kinda sums up the whole album in a way. A+ "Yesterday" is another one of my favorites i don't know why but just the melody and the intro i really dig. A- "fray" is a good one too. kind of depressing, but good lyrics. B in "zoe jane" you see the soft side of aaron, the song is about his daughter. its very sweet and i wish my father would write a song about me like that. lucky little girl. A+ "fill me up" this songs lyrics are undescribable (you fill me up, you're in my veins a look could take my breath away and all these things, you give away sometimes i take for granted), how can you say this album is a sellout?! A+ "layne" not one of my favorites but its for a good cause. C+ "falling down" has a good hard sound, not one of the best ones but i like the chorus. B "reality" another one of my favorites, lyrics are very emotional. A- "tongiht" a good one, i like the lyrics and the chorus is pretty catchy. B "could it be" a good song, its one of those songs that most people can probably relate to. B-"blow away" this song is so good. its one of the favs. i can relate to it so much its almost scary. very deep lyrics.A+ "intro" i like this one, its perfect, i love the lyrics and the effects and the orchestra in the background. good stuff. go buy it.Free Music Review: A lot better than I originally expected
Hit: 5 Stars
I am not going to pretend that I am the biggest fan of the band Staind. I have never really been very fond of the current metal scene which consists of Korn, Limp Bizkit, the Deftones, and Staind. Their music always came off as whiny, machismo rock music. My musical tastes is more underground. I prefer the heaviness of industrial bands like KMFDM, old Ministry, Front Line Assembly, Funker Vogt, etc..etc... . There a few metal bands that I do enjoy...Evanescence and Lacuna Coil. Now I can throw in Staind to the list, or at least "14 Shades of Grey". The trailer for the film "The Punisher" uses "So Far Away". Since the song wasn't included on the soundtrack, I decided to buy "14 Shades of Grey". Thankfully I found a copy in the used bins yesterday so I bought it (along with a couple of other cds). Much to my surprise, I found myself enjoying "14 Shades of Grey" as a whole, and not just for "So Far Away". Next to "So Far Away", my other favorite ballad on the cd is the tender ode to Aaron Lewis' daughter "Zoe Jane". I was actually moved by Aaron's promises to his daughter. I also found myself enjoying "How About You", "Yesterday", and "Layne" (a tribute to the late Layne Staley). I guess the one flaw about the album is how monotonous Aarons' vocals sounds. He has a terrible tendency to drone on. For songs like "So Far Away", "How About You", and "Zoe Jane", his monotonous vocals works out well while his vocals for "Price to Play" and "Reality" droned on and on. The other flaw is the lyrics. Songs like "Price to Pay" and "Falling Down" sounds whiney to me. That is just my opinion. Personally I think industrial bands do a much better job at composing angst-filled lyrics than most metal bands today. But for all its flaws, "14 Shades of Grey" is solid rock album. I didn't expect to be enjoying this album as much as I thought I would be. Sometimes it is good to be surprised by a band that you originally thought sucked lemons. I don't know if I would continue buying Staind's cds but if they are as good as "14 Shades of Grey", then I would.Free Music Review: They do It all
Hit: 5 Stars
I'm writing this review because I love Staind. I have all 4 of their CDs, and have listened to them thoroughly, so you know where I stand on reviewing this. This CD is a great CD. They mix Hard hitting riffs with the melodic voices of Aaron Lewis. Some of the songs are hard, yet, some of them are softer, but that's not a bad thing. This just goes to show that Staind can really do everything from Hard Metal to Alternative rock. Here I will go through each song and how it sounds:Price To Play- The title track and current single. One of the harder tracks on the CD.
How About You- The first of the more alt. tracks. Very good sounding.
So Far Away- A good sounding tune that should be listened to closely to show how far the band has really come.
Yesterday - Another hard song, but with great lyrics. Shows how Aaron hits the high notes without screaming.
Fray - Yet another hard song. Very good vocals, along with guitar and drumming.
Zoe Jane - A Song Aaron wrote in honor of his new daughter, Zoe Jane. Softer, and very melodic.
Fill Me Up - Not sure, but I think this is about his wife. Anyway, good song to play loud. Very much listenable.
Layne - This is a tribute to the late Layne Staley of Alice In Chains. Hard, and sounds like an Alice in Chains song.
Falling Down - A good alternative song, but by no means should be played in the background.
Reality - One of my more favorite tunes on the CD, this mixes everything. This mixes everything together on one track.
Tonight - Another great song. This has the riffs, melodies, and great lyrics combined.
Could It Be - A different sounding song that is good in it's own little way. Great sounds on it.
Blow Away - A more slowed down song, but more for the liking. Aaron sings about how things keep leaving him in life.
Intro - Some irony on this track, being last. Anyway, this is the slowest track on the CD. Uses some orquestra pieces in this one, and this is why it's a great song, by using other instruments.
Play this loud, Play this Proud
Free Music Review: The Next Step, But Still Staind
Hit: 5 Stars
Every new CD from Staind is different from the last and anything else in music in general. Their fourth album 14 Shades of Grey is no exception. It is the next step in the evolution of Staind. This album has pointedly more optimism than the other three releases. There is less anger and more hope for a better tomorrow, but there is still plenty of pain to be expressed. In this release Aaron reveals another side of himself especially in the sixth song about his daughter Zoe. There is also a continuing theme that most of what's happened for him and the band has been unexpected and he has changed from before. In this album there are still the powerfully emotional lyrics that seem to pull you into the music. There are the same stirring melodies that are sometimes haunting and stick with you if you listen long enough. The profound impact of their earlier style of heavy metal-like music is not completely lost in this album, though distant. Their new single "Price to Play" and the songs like "Yesterday" and "Reality" are simultaneously the old Staind thousands of fans have fallen in love with and the new sound that the band has evolved to.
There will be no replacing the hits like "Mudshovel" and "Outside", but instead the next generation will further add to the list of great songs they've already produced. It's worth the money just because it's Staind and Aaron's voice and words continue to drive the band forward, along with the great guitar and drums that make the music what it is. You might have to turn it up a little louder to get the same effect as before, but its worth the listen. The music gives more hope and comfort for the all the lost souls out there. Some fans may not be ready to take this next step in their own lives and see the world as a better place as Aaron and the band has managed to do to some extent. But while their new outlook has been transferred into their music there are some pains that will never fade and at it's heart the music is still very much Staind.
Free Music Review: Increadibly Inspired...
Hit: 5 Stars
To those who want a carbon copy of Break the Cycle, just go buy another one. For those who appreciate that bands, their members, and their music change, you may appreciate this one. Although not nearly as hard as their previous album, nobody can deny the power of this one. I was a HUGE fan of Break the Cycle, and yet I'm not dissapointed with 14 Shades of Grey. Aaron Lewis has obviously gone through different things since coming out with the last album, so complaining that it's not the same is rediculous. It happened with Metallica and everyone bashed them. Everyone wanted more "Fight fire with fire", even over ten years after that song was released. A band can't be expected to make two or three albums that sound exactly the same. People experience different emotions, and make different music accordingly.
For proof, listen to "So Far Away" (Which most of us have heard by now) or "Layne." I've heard "Layne" get bashed quite a few times already, and I don't think people understand it. Everybody is worried about Staind trying to "Sound like some other band" or "Not sounding how we want them to sound." How about listening to "Layne" as a tribute to one great song writer from another great song writer. It's by far my favorite track on the album, and to know that somebody like Aaron Lewis did and felt the SAME thing alot of us did about Layne, is amazing. The song is well written, inspired by Alice in Chains themselves, and a beautiful tribute. To bash this song as I've heard and read some of you do, is something to be ashamed of. Especially when the reason for bashing the song is because "I want Staind to sound like they did a few years ago."
Great album. Buy it if you appreciate good, inspired, music. If you want emotionally inept, aimlessly angry dribble, go buy some other rock CD. This one will be appreciated by true music enthusiasts only, and is a GREAT follow up to Break the Cycle.