Break the Cycle [PA] by Staind

Around 2001, the rock band Staind began to rapidly rise in popularity. The reasons are endless, but the fact that they had memorable hooks and tons of radio-play appeal just may have had a thing or two to do with it. I recall clearly when Break The Cycle was the album of the moment, with its slow, brooding hit single "It's Been Awhile", characterized by Aaron Lewis's instantly recognizable, pained voice. Naturally, the song was overplayed -- which translates to many fans as 'ruined'. So it goes.

If 100 people were randomly stopped on the street, asked to describe Staind's style of music, they would most likely imitate a sort of droning, moody, tortured man. That said, it's certainly no secret that Staind's most commonly known sound is the pensive, slow rock that epitomizes most of their hit singles. Well, folks, I'm here to announce that Break The Cycle happily serves up plenty of that sound to please the masses, but some surprisingly AGGRO tunes are also included, evening everything out with a nice, crunchy impact.

"Open Your Eyes" gets things going wonderfully, with churning, heavy guitars and an atypically fierce, loud vocal delivery from Aaron. The OOMPH! factor sort of wears off after the first few listens -- Staind is clearly not reinventing the wheel here -- but it's a pleasant listen anyway. "Pressure" is a prettier, smoother kind of heavy though: its intensity is only multiplied by unpredictable tempo changes, Johnny April's booming basslines and a zesty chorus.

The hit single "Fade", a midtempo rocker best known for its deliberate, pained vibe, has some of the most beautifully numb lyrics I've ever heard. Aaron's voice is gritty and seething here, as he accusingly wails, "I just needed someone to talk to / you were just too busy with yourself." "Epiphany" is similarly striking, a raw acoustic track that is so simple yet so touching at the same time. In music, there's a fine line between gorgeous emotion and overdone, and here, Staind gets everything right. The quiet, insecure verses lead up to Aaron's passionate cries of "It's always raining in my head / forget all the things I should have said..."

Sadly, though, there are some missteps that really bog things down. "Suffer" is loud enough and everything, but it's also a perfect example of Staind getting their heavy sound all wrong. The song is bland, unimpressive, and tries way too hard to stick out as an experimental hard-rock track. "Outside" lacks the touching, genuine feel of the more impressive soft moments on Break The Cycle, instead opting to plod on the same tired path of acoustic guitars and uninspired vocals.

"Waste" has a snappy, captivating introduction that is actually somewhat reminiscent of the Deftones, but soon proceeds to fall on its face with its sludgy, monotonous vibe. This song could have been great -- the guitars are actually quite well-used and random during some parts -- but Aaron just sounds so unforgivably bland and characterless. Too bad. "Change" makes the mistake of sounding like a good 75% of the rest of Break The Cycle, with its banal transitions from whispers to shouts. Additionally, the lyrics are lame: "How do I feel? I've been here before / I've felt this," Aaron whines.

Does Break The Cycle verify the theory that generic -- but occasionally catchy and rightfully cathartic -- hard rock can be enjoyable? I'm not jumping up and down for joy, but this album may be a pleasant surprise to many people. Yes, sometimes it can be exasperatingly dull and inconsistent, but some of the melodies are truly tinged with accusation, pain and altered naivety, which attracts me to Staind's sound and honestly makes me wonder if I should take chances on them more often.