Staind - The Illusion Of Progress
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Free Music Notes for The Illusion Of Progress
Free Music Review: Great stuff, change is a difficult thing
Hit: 4 Stars
After I listened to the CD, I listened to it a second time all the way through. As most of the reviews have mentioned, they arent as hard as their first two albums, but the quality has not been sacrificed. They continue to pump out quality, well thought-out songs and the gradual changes in styles (note the word "gradual") show Aaron's amazing depth and range in singing styles as well as the rest of the band's ability to play just about any mood.
The thing that kept me from hating this CD? I really had to stop and think of past/present bands I listented to who didn't change their style (Trust Company is a good example, of many that I could mention) and I realized that I quickly grew tired of them. They may have one or two songs of merit, but the rest quickly faded into the mix. It wasn't that they got worse, they just didn't go anywhere.
Wrapping it up, if I want the old Staind back all I have to do is pop in their first 2 albums. They are wonderful CD's that 8 or so years later still get me amped up. The story has progressed though, and their songs have evolved to newer subjects. I know the rest of you die-hard fans will not like my review, and that's fine, but now that I'm older I have a tendency to take things for what they are and accept it - even if it's not "what it used to be".
Free Music Review: You whacky Nu-Metal critics..
Hit: 4 Stars
You whacky Nu-Metal critics. Like Unlucky Frank, I listen to it all. One day, in the mood for Helloween (love 7 Sinners), next day Crowded House (holy crap), REO the next (Yikes), Shinedown the next, lets not forget the Beatles. Whether it be Hinder, Seether, Saliva, etc., there are so manny single star "don't waste your money", "it's crap" etc. reviews.
A majority of these appear to be of two types. The bands new release deviates from the original formula. "What are these guys doing, writing ballads now?".
OR, "It all sounds the same, this is not real metal" and direct you to some metalcore band (most of that sounds the same too). Hey, the other day, I did enjoy As I Lay Dying's, An Ocean Between Us, great for hitting the heavy bag, and there is some real singing among all the angry growls).
Hey dudes, variety, IT'S A GOOD THING. And this Staind release has some, not to mention well written songs. So that makes it a 4 star instead of a 3 star, which I would assign to most of the bands putting out this sort of music out.
Generally, for what appears popular in this genre, it's competent musicians, and singers can be very good to average, compensated by production technology. So it all gets a 3 to occasional 4 star.
Free Music Review: Reasonable progress
Hit: 4 Stars
This is still typical Staind, songs of relationships, faith in each other and human kind, but a little less focus on bad childhoods and rebellion. Tangled up in You, Believe, and Nothing Left to Say are all fine examples of classic staind tunes. Most of the songs are very melodic and could be those "stuck in your head" songs of the morning. It does take about 2 listens to start to appreciate the nuances of this album, but worth a purchase.
As another reviewer mentioned, this album is not as heavy as previous Staind albums, with more of an acoustic rougher mix than previous albums. If you want loud angry teen angst of nu-metal, get tormented or dysfunction. this is the next progressive step from Chapter V.
FYI: if you purhcase this album, here is the low down on the fan version. 3 extra tracks (it's been a while, devil, and schizophrenic conversations, allacoustic live), and a 1 year membership to the staind fanclub (a 40 dollar value with a free t-shirt mailed to your door, and online exclusive content and pre-order deals). The schizophrenic conversations was previously a bonus track on their greatest hits, but the other two are new. If you still can get it, do it.
Free Music Review: Staind's new direction
Hit: 4 Stars
The Illusion of Progress is what I now consider to be Staind's turning point lyrically. After hearing the confused, poorly-made Chapter V, I was understandably skeptical of IOP. But Staind has most definitely found their niche. Yes, it's much different than previous efforts (in fact, opposite of Tormented), but the band successfully creates a mainstream sound while still putting the same amount of emotion into the words. This album sounds like Aaron has realized that he has vented enough anger and hatred, and has decided to change. I know a lot of the diehard Staind fans wanted an album like Tormented and Dysfunction, but this album is a symbol of maturity. This is their way of saying, "Hey, we've all been through a lot of crap in the past, but it's time to get over that. We can't stay in a ditch forever, complaining about what has happened in our lives." The band is overcoming struggles and maturing, and so is the music. Maybe I would've wanted an album like 14 Shades of Grey (which is my favorite of theirs, btw), but IOP satisfies me.Free Music Review: Their greatest release
Hit: 4 Stars
You could consider my general opinion of Staind cd's love/hate. Most of their other releases (not counting Break The Cycle) have been half hits and half misses. I was excited to find that most of the songs on this album however carried real depth and likeability. There are still one or two that I could easily live without, but for the most part this is a stunningly beautiful release. Once in awhile this band will put out a rock anthem that makes you want to pump a fist (such as Mudshovel). But generally speaking, the real appeal of this band has been its electric ballads (such as So Far Away). And those electric ballads make up the bulk of this outing. Highly recommended if those are the types of songs which draw you to listen to Staind in the first place.