CHAPTER V
I was ready to write a review of
Chapter V
that lambasted this fifth offering from STAIND as "Same Old, Same Old",
but I decided to sit with the disc in my car CD player for a while
before arriving at a conclusion. After taking my time with it, I can
honestly say that
Chapter V proves that Staind is aware of what they do well, and know how to bring it out better with every release.
How much of this album's success can be atttributed the presence of
producer David Bottrill (GODSMACK, TOOL, MUDVAYNE) is unclear,but
"Devil" steers very close to Tool territory while still maintaining
that Staind sound. "King Of All Excuses" comes close as well during the
verse, but then veers back into Staind-ville for the chorus. As far as
the songwriting on this disc goes, Aaron Lewis still proves that he can
open up his veins, and spew lines of despair, loneliness, frustration,
and fury with the best of the tortured artists when he puts lyrics to
Mike Mushok's music. The first single "Right Here" has a nice polish to
it, courtesy of Bottrill, but is still unmistakably a Staind when the
lyrics kick in.
Now, considering Staind have found most of their success with more
mellow, slower, sadder, tortured songs, I was curious to see if
Chapter V
was a cry-fest in an attempt to capitalize on that past success. Those
songs ARE on this disc, but I think the stronger songs are (and always
have been) their more uptempo material. "Run Away" was a great choice
to start off this release, because it showcases what Staind are
primarily known for (and probably what got them noticed by LIMP BIZKIT
frontman Fred Durst initially). "Please" is another great angry song
with a strong hook, and I could see that becoming another big hit for
them.
With songwriting and delivery this strong, there's no reason to believe Staind won't be around for a long time.
