Staind is a classic Cinderella story for the music business: Unknowns get a record deal when discovered by a wealthy and powerful figure in metal, Mr. Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit. Fred is a man with a good ear. He’s discovered a gem for the metal world. Staind is not at all musically shaped like the metal/rap style of Limp Bizkit; instead they’re more of depressing grunge heavy metal band. A number of the tracks on this album won my heart quickly while others are still settling in my stomach.
“Raw” has been played at extreme volume in my house for the past week. The gritty guitar tone and growl will kick you right in the teeth, making you want to do some serious damage. Staind’s formula is a real teaser for the listeners because they hit you with a deafening riff, then slow back down to a dull roar only to kick you in the ass again. And it works.
I can see why Durst snatched Staind up so quickly. Aaron Lewis has a dynamic, high-powered vocal range much like the Limp frontman. Lewis will sing when he needs to, but the real presence of his voice lies in his deafening scream. The lyrics on the record take you from depression, hate, and anger, to loneliness. If you don’t like “Suffocate” or “Just Go”, you probably shouldn’t go rushing out to the store to buy Dysfunction.
The second single for the band will be the metal bulldozer “Mudshovel”. I’m still not sure what to make of it. It sounds like heavy grunge, yet it’s metal built for radio. Terry Date (Soundgarden, Pantara) did produce part of the record, so that explains part of Staind’s unique style. After “Mudshovel”, the album lulls a bit before firing into the fierce closing offered by “Crawl” and “Spleen”. The formula I talked about earlier gets a bit too repetitive in the middle. However, the band fights back with redemption on the melodically heavy “Crawl”. Lewis shines brightly by tearing in with the repeated lyrics, “Everything falls apart.” “Spleen” may not get you all fired up immediately, but then Lewis and bandmates pause and hit the metal switch, shearing the eardrums with vocals similar to those of Chino Moreno (Deftones) and brutally raw Ibanez guitars.
There are only nine tracks on Dysfunction, but the massive destruction of “Suffocate”, “Raw”, “Crawl”, and “Spleen” are totally worth the money you’ll spend on this record. Staind will be opening the Family Values tour, starring Limp Bizkit, Primus, and Crystal Method.
+larry sarzyniak
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