Staind: Ã14 Shades of Grey'
By Nate Seltenrich
One of these bands is not like the others. The band is Staind and the others are their myriad modern hard rock counterparts.
For all that's been said about the lack of innovation in the genre since its mainstream acceptance and leap into the popular music consciousness, Staind has continually defied such judgment. Beginning with their fittingly titled ìBreak the Cycleî in 2001, Staind has emerged as a leader in the field rather than a follower.
Whereas the followers will be largely forgotten, this band is on the way to leaving its own special stain on the hard rock genre. And the path to canonization will continue right on with their latest release, ì14 Shades of Grey.î
Another appropriately named album, this effort explores, throughout fourteen tracks, the gray areas between metal and acoustic rock, self-examination and self-exposition, music and catharsis.
The fact that the lyrics to ì14 Shades of Greyî are almost invariably centered on lead singer Aaron Lewis' personal misfortunes and musings may turn some people off to Staind's style. At the same time, it must not be overlooked that Staind is helping to usher in a new wave of heartfelt hard rock - emo-metal, if you will.
Staind's propensity for emotion-laden lyrics coincides with a tendency toward toned-down rock. No longer do heavy, distorted, smashing guitars serve as a musical crutch.
As they displayed in the acoustic version of ìOutsideî and their MTV Unplugged performance in 2001, Staind can go acoustic and still maintain the ferocity of feeling that makes hard rock what it is. The unplugged tradition buries its roots even deeper in ì14 Shades of Grey,î which more often than not sets aside electric hooks for acoustic rhythms.
Picking up where ìBreak the Cycleî left off, Staind's latest paves the way for a promising future for hard rock, especially in its mainstream incarnation. Although it may be no instant classic and reveals no musical genius, the album's impact will likely be felt within the genre for a long time. A-