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Week 16:

Staind

Artist Introduction

Staind was part of my first ever concert experience, and they stole the show on a lineup of monsters (Papa Roach, Godsmack, Shinedown). Since then, Aaron Lewis has become the musician who I have seen the most of live in my life. His shows range from hard rock with staind, to solo acoustic country shows at dive bars, and a few variations in between. Staind is going on their 25 year anniversary this year, and they were popular in the early 2000s rock scene. Aaron Lewis is widely known for his power vocals in the rock community, but broke out as a country artist later in his career, with arguably a larger following than Staind (so I had to sneak in his most popular country tune). He's politically controversial, which probably minimizes how widespread a lot of his country music will ever be for mainstream media. I've been a big fan of Aaron and Staind my whole life, and I'm sure many of these songs will be very recognizable, but have fun!

Joe Cascella

It's Been A While

By far their most recognizable song, with massive radio play in the early 2000s, and still is featured on popular rock stations like K-Rock. It’s extremely digestible for fans of any music. Nice soft sounding verses with a more edgy chorus. The song writing without being anything special, is still really solid. A big plus seeing this song live when the whole crowd yells “since I fucked things up, just like I always doooooooo.” There’s a decent amount of rawness and edge for a popular radio hit. Aaron's voice is very unique and distinct, which we will see throughout the duration of Staind's music. I also love the little drum roll that leads into each set of lyrics, pretty neat. It’s a really solid start.

Outside

Great lyrics in an obviously very depressing feel and sound. The slight up-tick in volume at the first chorus makes you feel the power of his words just a little bit extra. As the song builds and progresses, you really hear the extreme talent that is Aaron Lewis’s vocals. The band does a nice job during the chorus of making it feel like the walls are coming in. Music and lyrics align extremely well, for an emotional raw, very good rock n roll track. I’m sure we’ll all mention this, but the live performance of this song with Fred Durst is one of the most iconic breakout moments for a musician in rock history. It really gave Staind the stamp of approval for this type of music. In a perfect Fred Durst quote, he says “Biloxi, this is the real motherfucken’ deal, y’all! I’m feelin’ those lighters.” What an awesome moment!

So Far Away

it’s a shame this was the third most popular song, because I was really hoping to get Right Here on this list. With that, this is the second-best song titled ‘So Far Away’ since we started this club (please refer to AX7). It’s still a really good song, and it’s classic Staind. Slow verses, increased sound at the chorus with heavy guitar and noticeable drumming, and Aaron Lewis sounding great. I like the later power vocal bridge that enhances this track quite a bit. It’s the least favorite of the 3 populars, but still a good track. Now let’s get into the heavy shit!

Personal Favorites

For You

Mmmmmm a ripping guitar to lead us into this. And an amount of anger we haven’t really felt in this music club yet. The chorus is a little flat for such an angry and intense intro, but once again, still really solid. The inflection in his voice is so powerful. The third verse is awesome. Less singing, but more raw emotion mixed in with the band just ready to explode. This song rips hard live as well.

Mudshovel

Speaking of songs absolutely ripping live, Mudshovel is the song they end most, if not all concerts with. An awesome bass intro here in a song structure that is almost the reverse of For You. You can sense the anger and emotion in the verses, but the chorus and screaming is everything he’s felt over the last two songs, bottled into an epic song. I’m not really sure how to describe the guitar work. It’s kind of spacey and exotic, but still heavy. Headphones are pretty necessary to get the full feel of this one. But in general, there may be nothing that competes with a live performance and actually feeling the crowd for this one. And yes, for those of you who may not have known, Aaron can also do the deep screams when he wants. He actually does it a lot during his country shows too which is pretty funny. After those two songs, I’m ready to drive as fast as possible, cut off some old idiot and flip them off!

Please

Now back to our regular program, with emotional and powerful lyrics. There’s a much softer tone here, but he is still able to convey the same type of message. This is rainy day music, and you need to be in a very specific mood to enjoy it. Looking back at my list, this could’ve been an opportunity to feature something else here, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is a powerful and strong song of theirs. Aaron is over it, and his vocals are able to relay that in a very clear manner.

Unique Songs

Country Boy (Aaron Lewis)

A quick little story about this before we hop into the song. Aaron was considering going country, and while in the studio it became very obvious that the record label had little faith, thinking it made no sense for the lead singer of Staind to make country music. Aaron, having a chip on his shoulder, decided to write this song within an hour and play it right in front of everyone on the spot, and this is the song that then launched his country career. It’s not his best country work, but it for sure has the elements needed in a great country song. It speaks to his upcoming and the pride he has for the place that he loves, which although comes off a little cheesy at times, is an overall cool message. Now into the song. Aaron immediately has some country twang, which immediately shows he’s capable of making this type of music. I like the story-telling element, and starting with it dating back to his grandfather and his story. The second verse covers him “selling out” to Hollywood and being under their control, which is common and more well known by many independent musicians today. The back and forth with the devil is original for this type of music and pretty cool. And then he gets into his bread and butter which he still rocks with today, which is his love for America, incredibly prevalent in his live shows as his backdrop is an American flag. It’s a fine song, but as mentioned, he has some other great country music that I recommend checking out.

Epiphany

A really strong vocal performance and nice songwriting. Similar theming to a lot of the other work. There is something that feels a little bit different about the rest of it though. It seems a little bit more advanced and polished maybe. It’s tough to put a finger on, but yeah another really good sad slow song.

Crawl

Heavy and creepy right off the bat, matching the album cover. This feels like thrash metal to me. Besides the lyrics, not much of this feels like Staind. It feels like a combo of Korn and Godsmack, with maybe another harder metal band that I can’t quite peg. Can they do this type of music, sure, is it my favorite, probably not. Everything I’ve written so far was before the 2:45 mark, where the song gets a bit crazy in a good way. The drums and bass combined with creepy angry vocals is fun, and then Aaron lets loose and screams his lungs out. You forget that the guy who sings on It’s Been a While and Epiphany can also get down like this, which he does a ton of at Staind shows. I’m curious to see my brother Vin’s take on this one, but it’s a hell of a way to end the band.

Conclusions

Yeah, as you can tell from my review, this band is right up my alley. When I listen to late 90s early 2000s rock, this is what I’m looking for. With that, is it perfect, absolutely not. At times it’s one dimensional and repetitive, maybe even generic occasionally. I think Aaron Lewis is one of the best rock n roll vocalists of all time, but nobody else in the band is overly impressive. I think they are a bit versatile, being able to play the more catchy and familiar tunes but also having some angry and harsh music as well. And obviously Aaron can do just about anything he wants. I would highly encourage checking out some live performances outside of these songs. Some good examples include What Hurts the Most, Lost & Lonely, Crawling (Linkin Park cover), and Something to Remind You (all Aaron Lewis acoustic stuff). Man this is tough, but I feel like I have to be fair and I’ll go with a 7.8. Go check them out on tour this year with Hiner, Hoobastank and Seether. Lol, not the best show, but if you get the opportunity to see Staind or Aaron Lewis (wear your American flag shirt), it’s very much worth going to.

Cascella Family Reviews

Vin Cascella

This is going to be an interesting one for me to review as I already know 8 of 9 songs very well. Staind was one of the big names in the hard rock (specifically Post-Grunge and Nu Metal) community as I was growing up. Aaron Lewis had one of the most powerful voices of all the artists of that era as well. Has their music aged particularly well? Eh. Do I have a soft spot for ultra depressing divorced dad rock? Yes. Let's head out to the garage, crack open a baker’s dozen domestic beers, and give Staind a deep dive. It’s Been a While: A staple of this genre and one of the most famous rock songs of the 2000s. I googled top 10 hard rock songs of the 2000s and this song didn’t show up on any of the lists, lol. It did show up in all of the top 50s lists. I think that sounds about right. It’s a perfectly approachable hard rock song that really checks all the boxes of the genre. Solid lyrics, very strong vocal performance but not too much to say on the instrumental front. Probably the most drums we’re going to get on the entire set. Outside: The song that put them on the map and depending on what you like, possibly their best song. Simple enough song but strong lyrics with powerful voice to back it up (going to be a running theme in this selection). One of the big time Hard Rock Ballads of the 2000s along with the likes of My Immortal, Broken (double points for the GOAT Amy Lee), Through Glass and Snuff (Corey Taylor), Shadow of the Day, and Scars. Their famous live version was performed at the 1999 Family Values Tour along with Fred Durst and helped put the band on the map. At the time the song wasn’t even finalized and the version that was performed that day went on to be one of their most popular songs. So Far Away: Sure. “It’s Been a While”, but not as good! Does that mean its a bad song? Absolutely not! Just not as good as It’s Been a While. This is pretty much Creed with a better voice. So it's Alterbridge, but also once again with a better voice. Joe I never realized this but this is just slightly less cheesy Three Days Grace. This is the first time I realized that there were strings in this song, that's a nice touch. Strings make everything better. For You: A Breaking Benjamin song with better vocals. They even follow the patent pending “Breaking Benjamin song formula”. Heavy Intro, light verse, chorus, light verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, chorus again but slightly more epic, heavy outro. 3:30 minutes of formulaic perfection. Aaron Lewis’ voice really helps elevate this band to a level above that of many of their peers. Mudshovel: One of the craziest mosh pits I’ve ever been a part of. Dry summer day on the lawn of PNC. Bodies flying down the hill in a dust bowl mess. Lots of fun. Probably the best instruments on anything they play. Bass intro is great and the overly gained out guitar is great for this genre. I’m going to mention this later but I didn’t realize how heavily they leaned into the aesthetic of the Nu Metal genre in their early days. Specifically talking about the “Joker” looking fella on the album cover. This song reminds me that they can actually get pretty heavy. This or “Outside” are my favorite tracks by them. I do think this song would be better off stopping at the 3:00 minute mark. The last two minutes pretty much repeat the same thing again when I think they nail it the first time around. Please: So I thought this was a different song. I still know this song but I thought this was their newish song “Better Days” and I was impressed that they sound exactly the same after twenty years (shoutout Breaking Benjamin). However, I am mistaken and this came out during the height of their fame in 2005 along with “Right Here” probably the only other song I expected to see on this list. I mean it’s their “signature” sound that got them popular. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Subjectively I like it, but is this objectively good music? Eh, who cares? It's formulaic Post-Grunge. A little sound fatigue at this point. Intro, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus, Slightly Adjust Chorus, Outro. Country Boy (Aaron Lewis): Sure. I like him better in a hard rock band but it’s an acceptable country song. Lyrically I can’t tell what’s cheesier, this or Staind. Congrats on not being “tread on” brotha. Katerina had an absolutely diabolical realization and now I can’t unhear it. This song has the same melody as “Rockstar” by Nickleback. I do like the little Charlie Daniels portion where he plays the fiddle and is the “devil” record label exec. Spoken word outro cheesy as fuck. Good job listing “country” and “guns” before your family in things you love. Also you forgot about God. Epiphany: These last two songs give me a great opportunity to talk about the subtle differences of two subgenres of Alternative Rock along with a third subjective and dreaded option: Post-Grunge, Nu Metal, and the dreaded “Butt Rock”. Post-Grunge: If you sound like you’re trying to be grunge but you’re a few years too late to be considered Grunge: Bush, Silverchair, Collective Soul, Live, Audioslave Nu Metal: Heavier, downtune riffing often feature rap-style vocals and electronics: Korn, Mudvayne, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Deftones, Incubus Butt Rock: Originating from modern rock radio, “It’s 92.X, Nothing But Rock!”. Categorized as popular, nondescript and derivative rock that is entirely forgettable. Nickleback, Creed, Shinedown, 3 Doors Down (RIP), Puddle of Mudd, Seether, Hinder, and unfortunately Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace. It’s a combination of the two genres above with an emphasis on the derivative aspects of them. Staind definitely hit the scene as a Nu Metal band but transitioned their overall sound into that of Post-Grunge. I don’t think they’re basic enough to be Butt Rock but damn do they get close at times. Depressing Hard Rock that fits in a direct follow up to bands like Nirvana and Alice in Chains. It’s radio approachable while also fitting into the rock genre of the era. This song Epiphany falls right in line with that descriptor. Crawl: Now here is your Nu Metal song! The song starts as a Korn song, turns into a Deftones track, and ends as Mudvayne. It sounds just like all three of them. I actually think Aaron Lewis’ voice is great for this genre but I think the instruments need to be tuned down even more (something like Korn and Mudvayne’s drop A, drop B# tuning, strings falling off tuning) to really get that punch across. Overall it's a good track that shows that they could’ve kicked ass as a Nu Metal band in the early 2000s. Interesting that they went more in the direction of Alt-Rock, Post Grunge. Guess that “devil” at the record label had some impact. Through this deep dive I learned how they started as more of a metal band and were signed by Fred Durst after “Staind acquired a concert slot with Limp Bizkit. Just prior to the performance, Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst was appalled by Staind's grotesque album cover and unsuccessfully attempted to remove them from the bill. Durst thought that Staind were Theistic Satanists. After being persuaded to let them perform, however, Durst was so impressed that he signed them to Flip Records by February 1998.” They must have been so wild back in the day for the likes of Fred Durst to think they were Satanists. So there you have it. I think this is the first time a deep dive has hindered my opinion of a band. I still like them a lot and they hold a special place in my young heart but after really digging down into the band I think they lack a lot of substance that many of the other artists we’ve reviewed have had. That being said Aaron Lewis is an absolute powerhouse vocalist, both in the studio and during live performances. His voice will go down as one of the highlights of the modern rock scene. Comparing them to other scores I’ve given I think they’re going to fall right in the middle. 7.4/10

Dad Cascella

OK, we move on to STAIND. I’ve seen that STAIND has a lot of band descriptions, such as Post Grunge, Rock/Metal, Alt Rock. For me, listening to and really liking this band since the early 2000’s, I just consider them a very good Rock Band. Doing some research, I saw that in their early days, they covered other artists, including Rage Against The Machine and Tool. That surprised me, cause I never associated STAIND music to that style. I don’t know anything about the other members, and only know Aaron Lewis to be truly one of the best American rock singers still performing. Let’s dive:

IT’S BEEN A WHILE- Good start. Classic FM radio rock song that we’ve all heard a million times, but I still like it. Soft verses, with powerful singing and guitar in the chorus (which tends to be a STAIND formula). Regarding lyrics, A.L. sings some depressing lyrics. I thought he was fairly solid and stable, enjoying a nice sober career, family life, and deer hunting to occupy his successful life. Was I wrong?

OUTSIDE- Another FM staple. Beautiful easy guitar, then power chorus similar to previous song. Then at the 3:30 mark we get a taste of what makes A.L. stand out, with powerful vocals, singing in a slightly higher register, belting out the chorus. Again, depressing lyrics. But what he sings is very clear, a listener can understand the lyrics, which I especially like in most of these songs.

SO FAR AWAY- Love the guitar work throughout this song. It’s another similar song as the previous two, verse verse chorus, with A.L.’s powerful voice leading the way. And strings on this one really complement the music. While the lyrics are again depressing, these are his best so far (Escaping his past demons). Great rock song.

FOR YOU- Monster song, always been one of my favorites. This is the STAIND I want after listening to the previous three. Simple, deep lyrics about family/parental issues. Musically powerful, with an edgier sound. Watched this song in live performances, and the band actually moved a bit, though A.L. typically stands in front barely swaying.

MUDSHOVEL- Finally, a bass-led song (I’m sure Uncle Vin liked that). And what the fuck is making that guitar sound like that? I don’t know, don’t care, because this is a great rock song. And a deep voiced bridge repeating “Mudshovel” worked, tho my throat started hurting just listening to it. Of all the dark lyrics we’ve heard so far, these show A.L. really struggling with depression, which I had no idea about before this dive. But more than most, this song shows the hard rock side of STAIND.

PLEASE- One of only two songs I didn’t know from this list. A different sound, with good guitar work, and A.L. overdubbing his own voice. As close to metal rock as STAIND gets, with some very deep and solid lyrics. On my first listen I thought it to be a decent rock song. After 2nd, and 3rd listen, with lyrics, and then watching live,I’ve come to know this song as much better than decent.

COUNTRY BOY- Yup, this is certainly different. If these lyrics are autobiographical, then it may be the most truest song of a person ever written. While the lyrics may not be deep, they tell of a life of a man who just wants to live a good,clean simple family life. And the sit-down steel guitar throughout really works for me. Now I know that this song may not resonate with half of this country,but he says nothing wrong or offensive. And then at the 3 minute mark he gets a bit more personal about his beliefs. Good for you A.L. Not to get political, but if these simple lyrics causes grief among a large portion of the American population, then those people are absolute idiots. “A Country Boy Is All I’ll Ever Be. I liked this one very much.

EPIPHANY- Thank goodness, I thought my favorite STAIND song was gonna be left off the list. Beautiful, soft ballad with the best singing yet by A.L. Sure, it follows the same standard STAIND verse verse chorus. But with it’s solid lyrics and incredible vocal, this song stands out. There’s nothing magical or musically different, but for me the feel of this song is somehow different. Again, introspective lyrics, “I am nothing more than a little boy inside, That cries out for attention yet I always try to hide”. And adding strings to this arrangement is beautiful. While there are better live versions, I concentrated on his solo performance in Saratoga (S.P.A.C.), where he really slows the song down, and the crowd is quietly singing along. A big yup for me.

CRAWL- While I know this song, it is not a favorite of mine. STAIND doing a sort of heavy metal, with breaks of softness in between just doesn’t work for me. But Joseph gets credit, because nothing else in the STAIND catalogue sounds quite as different than this one.

All done. I enjoyed this selection, as I’ve always been a fan of STAIND. I just didn’t know that so many of the lyrics were about depression and what seemed like metaphors for drugs and alcohol and unhealthy relationships. As for the band, not much to say. While they sound solid, only on a few songs do any of the instruments really stand out. I guess I was looking for a guitar lead once in a while, or some powerful drum-led music, but you don’t get that with STAIND. What you do get is Aaron Lewis. While he may not be a charismatic front man, his voice is unmistakable and truly one of the best in the business. STAIND music is sometimes repetitive, and some of the songs sound like others (where have we heard this before). But Because there was only one song I didn’t care for, and because STAIND has been around for over 25 years, my rating is a 7.9

Mom Cascella

I’m very happy with your choice of Staind. I know them very well.

IT’S BEEN A WHILE- great start. Already on my playlist. Love this song. Nice gritty vocals, great lyrics looking back on his life decisions.

OUTSIDE- On my playlist again. Another goodie, like the guitar strumming. Sad lyrics. Like the live acoustic version, with Durst, better, but both are great.

SO FAR AWAY- I’m 3 for 3 with songs already on my playlist. Nice melody, vulnerable lyrics and vocals. “Somebody shake me”. C’mon, so good.

FOR YOU- Not on playlist, but I knew this it also. Love this song, a bit more rocking. More darker and angrier, but I really like it.

MUDSHOVEL- Another rocking song. Love his intense, angry vocals. So much better then those wimpy, whiney voices like Billy Corgan. And the growling “Mudshovel” works for me. PLEASE- sounds a bit like others in this batch. Another dark, emotional song. It’s still good. COUNTRY BOY- Reminds me of “Rock Star” (Nickleback, YUCK!!!). Opposite lyrics, though, He’s happy staying true to himself. I like this fun song.

EPIPHANY- I know this one also, I like it a lot. Slower paced, very good lyrics, and beautifully sung.

CRAWL- a rare one I didn’t know. Aggressive start, ok, then more aggressive. Wait, it slows down. Now screaming, LOL. Not my favorite, where’s that beautiful voice.

So overall, this was one of my favorite listens so far. This music is right up my alley. I love Aaron Lewis’ vocals, beautiful sound. Good lyrics. And nobody is trying to kill themselves, So That’s Good. Vin, you call it Dad rock. I’m calling it Mom rock! I give this listen an 8.1, very enjoyable.

Uncle Vin Cascella

My entire knowledge of this Band is: It’s Been Awhile is a pretty good song and that this band has been around for years. That’s it.

IT’S BEEN AWHILE: I always liked this song but didn’t know many of the lyrics. I like the general RnR sound and his vocals. The lyrics are introspective (I’m guessing) with some F bombs- neither of which I was previously aware of! Very good song.

OUTSIDE: a little too slow for a little too long for me. At 1:20 they hit the power chord button, get a little louder. Great voice but sad sack/downer lyrics with sparse music in verse #2 made me go “really?”! I get a little Vedder vibe in some of the singer’s vocal tone.

SO FAR AWAY: Ut oh, similar beginning as the first 2 songs. Ut oh, same structure as song #2- it’s power chord time. Depressing lyrics + very slow pace = boooring! Late in the song the vocal is fantastic.

*** So far nothing special or exciting or interesting going on musically. At this point I did a little research- they have a “lead” guitar player- great! Looking forward to hearing something out of him. Is this a Rock Band?

FOR YOU: Oh, ok, there you go! I like the simple off beat by the drummer in the first verse. Again, a super strong, super clean voice and vocal. Although I’m not a huge fan of lyrics about how Mommy and Daddy didn’t love/teach/cuddle/whatever enough, the music makes them more than palatable. Wait, wait, wait- at 1:46 we do a, a, uh… we do that? WOW! Come on bro, give me something- anything!! You can do the half chunk chord to start the next verse. From there the angry young man that Mr Lewis presents loses me. Is that a character or is that him? Actually, I kind of don’t care. Too bad, I really liked this one. I’m certain that when rich and famous people hate on their upbringing it resonates with many, many people. Not me.

MUDSHOVEL: starting a song with a bass solo is good. Playing 1 noters- not so much. I like this one- a lot! Finally some interesting guitar, a driving beat, some variety in the structure of the verse. Great RnR sound. I can envision the swirling, multi-colored, pulsing light show during the live concert during the “mudshovel”- which, altho it took me a few listens, has a great sound to it! Best track of the first 5- by far! I’ll even forgive the bass player’s starter…. Lol

PLEASE: really nice guitar (if not spectacular) to start, great pace, good lyrics…. Then a cool riff (again, not spectacular) behind the “not alone” leading to a few really nice chord changes for the chorus. And adding strings is an excellent production choice. Well done boys! And Lewis sounds great throughout- especially later in the song. The bridge just knocks it out of the park! Fantastic song.

COUNTRY BOY: first off, I expect Vin to give Joey plenty of lip for choosing a non-Staind song! Or are we over that! Lol. Interesting- story teller AL, using a non-conforming verse structure. I like it. Charlie hears “devil”, he scratches a fiddle! Then AL borrows the “sell your soul” from CD. I like it again! Is that GJ singing a few lines and CY playing a guitar? That’s my guess! Country boy singing about being a country boy. I like that too! The lyrics shift to loving America and leave me alone- which I really like. Certainly not a great tune but certainly a different one- me likey!

EPIPHANY: At 1st listen I wasn’t a fan. It got better 2nd and 3rd time thru. That said, it’s still kinda too slow and weepy- but his voice is really fabulous. Decent enough song but they stay on that same acoustic guitar chord- boooring

CRAWL: It’s interesting that this song is on the 1999 album along with Mudshovel- both tracks have some very adventurous sounds. The 4 tunes presented here from the 2001 album have none of that. I find that kinda …. weirdly evolutionary. Driving rhythm to s l o w is strange too. This one drives in way too many lanes, and the screaming vocals had me reaching for the volume button.

FINAL REVIEW: I really like 3, I like the country tune and I like parts of a few others. This guy’s voice is great, and I like how they insert harmonies- or dual vocals- whatever. Many songs have the same vibe musically and lyrically, making spending 2 hours on nothing but Staind a bit tedious. Overall; 7. I think! I’m gonna read the other 4 reviews now.

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