Break the Cycle [PA] by Staind

I have been out of the rock/metal loop for too long. And I have the state of music in recent years to blame. Sugar sweet entertainers have owned the airwaves and MTV for some time now. The pop cycle comes and goes and if you haven't been in a cave for the last few years, you know pop for the moment is on top. Staind has sparked my interest in rock/metal once again.

While rock and pop crafted by true artists has never really died, it has yet to take control again; the best that most bands like Korn could do was to simply coexist with the synchronized dancing, and the professional writers that the competition wields.

Korn spawned Limp Bizkit, and Limp Bizkit begot Staind or so it says in the music bible. The latest effort by Staind appropriately titled Break the Cycle could be seen as ironic when viewed through the eyes of a music cynic like myself. However I have come to the realization that the title along with the collection of work itself, could actually be a harbinger of what's to come.

My past experience has shown me that things don't happen overnight even though it might appear that way in hindsight. Staind might very well be the catalyst in sending manufactured music into hibernation (only to be awakened by some future Lou Pearlman). Lead singer and writer Aaron Lewis and company spit out grinding dare I say grunge style rock/metal. While the sound and aggressiveness of this nature are easy to find, the emotion and sorrow tucked inside is not.


Songs like Pressure display a swift moving sound and the feeling of someone overwhelmed by fame and responsibility. Fade is Staind not really in the molasses mode they are capable of at times; but rather the band pushing in the clutch and allowing themselves to coast. Fade tells the story of a loved one being absent in Aaron's life. And when Aaron sings "I just needed someone to talk to. . . You were just too busy with yourself. . ." he dances on the edge of a true ballad with complete success.

It's been awhile has received massive air play and has turned out to be a smash for the band. It's the first track on Break the Cycle to hit the brakes, and come to a slow roll. It's been awhile is a wonderful combination of hair band ballad with an obvious early/mid 90's rock influence mixed in. It's been awhile is a text book example of how to display pain and sorrow, sound like a rock song, and never appear too vulnerable.

Lewis repeats the phrase "It's been awhile" over and over again, followed by everything in his life that hurts him, that he screwed up, and lost. I've been saying that over and over to myself since I heard the song, frankly it's been awhile since I've heard something like this. It's a gem and not to be missed by rock fans, however the "cool" people might tell you that it sucks and that Staind sold out simply because they are enjoying success. Don't buy it, if It's been awhile is responsible for delivering the band kudos and additional success it is only because the song and the album are that good.

The band starts to pick up speed once again with Change and smoke pours from Aaron's voice by the time Can't believe rolls around. Like all the other bands that are pigeonholed along with Staind, Aaron screams until he's hoarse. It's the "Travesty around me" and "I just want to flee from everything in front of me" type of song. And it is one instance where the music delivers and the lyrics fall short. Lyrically the song doesn't say much, it's simply the angst of a man with problems. And it's the kind of song that loses my interest very quickly.

Epiphany surprised me, with the sound of an acoustic guitar tickling my ear and what seems to be a drum machine. The writing found on Epiphany is not stellar but it is solid. Epiphany does not maintain the slight guard that It's been awhile does. This track sheds all defenses and image and I think it's safe to say that right about the time Aaron confesses "I am nothing more than a little boy inside" his shield was discarded.

Outside shares many of the same traits as Epiphany minus the drum machine sound. Outside shows Aaron more on top of his game in the writing department. With the heartfelt emotion of It's been awhile Aaron tells the tale of someone he loves very much displaying beauty on the "outside" and being ugly on the inside; he also comes to the realization the he to shares this trait. It is another high point of Break the Cycle.

This album as a whole, is a wonderful combination of the brooding sound of lead singer Jonathan Davis of Korn fame, and the confessional style of Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. Aaron even displays a little Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins in his writing style and delivery, especially when things turn toward sadness. All the while, Staind maintains their own style, not revolutionary but definitely evolutionary.


There are other bands like Staind, and sadly some will never see the light of day. Others will have some small success and then fade into obscurity. With the music world in it's current cycle, it is tough to break through into mainstream radio at the moment. I remember the good old days between the time Nirvana hit the scene and the late 90's when it all went away. It's sad to admit, but for me, those are the only good days I have. I was born about twenty years too late. I will never really understand what the 60's and early 70's were like, no matter how much research I do.

My good old days were the "grunge" years and even though I did not bond with all of it, I bonded to the idea and the feeling of the time. Pop plastic never had a chance, it was all about the artist, not the entertainer. The bands did not dress up like rock stars, they dressed like the young members of the audience. They wore what was comfortable and they wrote and sang with complete honesty. It also opened the door for all the female singer songwriters that I adore so much. For a brief moment I was in pure and complete bliss. It was all Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alanis, STP, Soundgarden and Fiona Apple.

When Staind named their latest album "Break the Cycle" it was probably for personal reasons. I however hope that they accomplish a very different mission with the album. I'm so ready to see a shift away from the entertainers posing as artists, and I'll take it any way I can get it. Hitting hard and debuting at #1 on Billboard Break the Cycle could be the first sabot to jam the current pop music machine.