Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 08/19/2008
Staind seem to sneer at the very notion of forward movement on the title of their sixth album,
The Illusion of Progress, and that disdain very well may be a Freudian slip, as the Springfield, MA, rock band stubbornly refuses to evolve over the course of a decade. If anything, with each album their aggression erodes and the angst of frontman
Aaron Lewis mellows into a mild grumpiness that surfaces only when he's not singing profane songs of devotion, which is most of the time. Ballads have always been his forte, a convenient vehicle for his quivering sensitivity and accidental melodicism, yet it's still startling how slow
The Illusion of Progress unfolds, as
Staind rarely muster the energy to move beyond midtempo even when they deign to crank up their amps for anthems of mild alienation or vague inspiration. Instead, they prefer to spend their time plucking electrics as if they were acoustics, creating arpeggios that recall
"It's Been a While" while sidestepping replication because this slow, stately crawl is now the sound of
Staind: they're easy listening grunge, music for recovering extreme sports addicts. So, it should come as no surprise that
The Illusion of Progress is filled with love songs from
Lewis, a married father of three who pledges his commitment and chronicles his insecurities and dreams in moody minor chords; it's not just an album recorded at his home studio, it's
about his home. As always,
Lewis' sincerity is disarming and strangely endearing, as unlike so many of his posturing peers he seems like a genuinely good guy, which is enough to make it hard not to wish that he could break free from his inadvertent lyrical clichés, clumsy expletives, and obvious
Bob Dylan allusions, to say something specific instead of something sweeping, but that would be progress, something that
Staind don't desire because they're perfectly content with where they are.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Average Review:
Number of reviews: 3
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A reviewer
from new york
well worth buying
even though this album has mainly so ballads i liked it all the songs are briliantly great and they really did great on it. it's a great album.
A reviewer
from Mass
Very Sad
This is by far the most boring Staind album ever. This can not be considered Rock, if anything it is pop. I have been a fan of Staind since before Tormented, but I have to say this is a HUGE let down. All the songs sound the same and the heaviest track is Believe.......It should be titled The Illusion of Rock.
Sorry guys but this album needs to be burned.
Matt
from Massachusetts
Similar feel to Chapter V
The songs have a nice vibe and catchy chorus. Aron's voice stands out with many of the tracks. You can definitely hear Staind's change of course from heavy metal to more of an alternative rock, but that's all right with me. A good cd overall.
;)
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