/ban d/ staind

/ album / BREAKING THE CYCLE

/ old / debut is gritty, sparse, and honest}{could be termed new metal.

/sounded like then/ alice and chains styling, early tool’s minimalism, and cold feeling of first album of sponge=rotting pinata

/new/ friendlier, matured, formulated rock sound}{could be termed heavy rock.

/sounds like now/ first albums of dishwalla and bush with contemporary stylings of the late 90s.

/ w h o ? / lyrics aside, singer has a throaty, sensitive aura and the young, heroic american voice which sadly does not complement his strained and feigned anger, probably at the whims of corporate interests

/ w h a t / unrelated collection of stylized songs that vacillate between heartfelt and artificial angst}{that seem trendy and pre-manufactured but at the hands of capable ones who knows good music.

/ ? w h e r e / america

/ w h e n / 2001

/ h o w /

I like the transition to a more personal and sincere sound instead of trendy and dark anger especially when other peers and other types of music depicts these a lot more persuasively. I like the emotional rock sound they try to revitalize from early 90s when everyone and anyone was a Pearl Jam clone. Still, I am curious as to this approach and skeptical of the band’s intent when it is obvious that big business has molded their sound. It is goes on to be sadder when seemingly emotional moments are too obviously foreign and fake with simplistic lyrics, forced melodies to these lyrics, and unpersuasive yells and screams when in their previous album, these are a lot more realistic.

/take/ temporarily interesting from a band with no identity. Somehow they manage to make nice songs despite last minute decorations of trendy hoopla.

/score/ 7div2div5

/author/ Alzn