Chapter V - Dark Publications

Location: Home » music » Post Grunge » Chapter V

Similar Items:

•	Break the Cycle
•	14 Shades of Grey (with Limited Edition Bonus DVD)
•	Dysfunction
•	The Illusion Of Progress
•	1996-2006 The Singles

Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
Platinum sales. Palatial homes. Fred Durst's cell-phone number. Is nothing enough to lift the heavy air of angst that hangs over Staind? "I've mastered feeling nothing/ I'm dead inside/ Why don't I care?" sings frontman and walking existential crisis Aaron Lewis by way of response on "Run Away," the opening track of the group's fifth album. And so the mood is set--again. The rest of the band offers its agreement through brooding torrents of noise and dense minor-key melodies, maintaining its allegiance to 1990s metal heroes Alice In Chains and Pantera. With the exception of the tantalizingly melodic "Devil" and tender love song "Everything Changes," the acoustic guitars have largely been set aside on Chapter V, leaving Staind to pummel away at its troubles and hoping that people still have time to listen to self-pitying grown men moan about their dysfunctional childhoods. "Falling is easy/ It's getting back up that becomes a problem," Lewis sings on "Falling." --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description
Chapter V marks the return of one of the biggest-selling rock groups in America today. Recorded at Allaire Studios in Shokan, NY and at the band's Springfield, MA rehearsal space, the CD was produced and mixed by David Bottrill (Peter Gabriel, Mudvayne, Godsmack). Staind is back in a huge way!

Customer Reviews: Read 158 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Something Old, Something New. August 10, 2005
85 out of 92 found this review helpful

Well, one thing you'll notice upon your first listen to Staind's new album, "Chapter V," is that frontman Aaron Lewis seems to have moved past the "high on life" attitude he toted throughout much of 2003's ironically titled "14 Shades Of Grey." Not to say he's angry again, but gone are such sweet ballads as "So Far Away" and "Zoe Jane." If "Chapter V" is like any Staind album, it's probably best compared to "Break The Cycle." Taking turns between moody, introspective ballads and raw, in your face cuts that are likely to inspire a moshpit. Although they are far from reinventing themselves, Staind take a little bit of their past, and update it, and mix it up with feelings of today. In the past,they took things to extremes. If you wanted to kill yourself, "Tormented" would be your soundtrack. If you finally found inner happiness, "14 Shades Of Grey" would be your cup of tea. "Chapter V" takes the challenge of balancing all those emotions. From low lows, to high highs, all the bases are covered on this one album. I think it's safe to say that Staind have created an album that will appeal to most everyone.

With David Botrill (Tool, Silverchair) producing, and with guitarist Mike Mushok sporting a lush head of hair, Staind are back. "Chapter V" begins with one of the best, "Run Away," which takes things to a new level for the group. Mushok's guitar parts are more expressive than ever, and truly define this one song. It's a perfect way to kick off things, with a song that carries so many dynamics, much like the entire album itself. Fans of the group will find familiar fare in the mid-tempo, semi-ballads "Right Here" and "Schizophrenic Conversations," but the group truly reaches it's peak with the mezmerizing and touching "Everything Changes." On the other end of the spectrum, "Paper Jesus" and "Falling" will most likely appease fans of "Tormented" or "Dysfunction." It's important to note that the lyrical content of this album takes things in a whole new direction. Aaron seems to be a bit more ambiguous this time around with his messages, which is actually quite refreshing, from someone who wore his feelings on his sleeve for four albums prior. The tone of the album is neither negative, nor positive. Yes, the man found happiness, as was well documented on the last album, but he obviously still is living on planet Earth and still has things on his mind, which is what "Chapter V" is all about. It's not whiney, it's not preachy. It's not angry, it's not joyful. It is quite simply, human.

While the album as a whole isn't perfect, it is still a five star album in my eyes, for it takes Staind to a whole new level. Now, at their fifth album (wow, time flies), they seem to be settling into a comfort zone, where they can handle all dynamics, where they are above and beyond the competition. The musicianship on here is excellent, a notch above, and Aaron's vocal deliver is stellar as always. Anyone who has followed Staind this far will find much cause for celebration with this album.

4 out of 5 stars

Honestly, write a review worth something. August 9, 2005
16 out of 18 found this review helpful

Alright we have 2 camps in the reviews i have read of this album. The ones that love absolutly everything Staind does and the ones that dont. Neither of which have given a decent review of this album that i could base any sort of descision on. So i bought the album anyways.

1. Run Away 4/5: Happier guitar riff, with lyrics that arn't happy at all. The bridge of the songs slows it down to the normal depressing Staind we all know and love. The song grows on you, but dont expect it to be a favorite right off.

2. Right Here 4/5: I love the verses. The chorus is good, but it annoys me and sounds cliche. Aaron tries some experimenting with his vocals to try something new and im glad that he tries, it keeps things fresh and original. Again, a song that will grow on you.

3. Paper Jesus 3/5: Harder riffs to start off, the first throw back to the days of Dysfunction. The vocals however are experimental and dont match anything on dysfunction or any other Staind release for that matter. The chorus is repetative and the verse does nothing for me, not to say it wont for you. However, the bridge is absolutly great.

4. Schizophrenic Conversations 4/5: Slower song, its a decent song. Nothing more. The end is better than the beginning and almost makes up for it.

5. Falling 5/5: Finally! A song that is very memerable. Great drum beat to start off with and the chorus is excellent.

6. Cross To Bear 4.7/5: Off beat slightly, the chorus and versus are great. Not quite as good as the last song, but a damn good competitor.

7. Devil 5/5: The guitar riff in this song is awesome. The lyrics are finally kicking into what we want to hear from the Staind and the way they should be portrayed.

8. Please 6/5: Interesting guitar riff, sort of a depressing festive if you can imagine it. When the lyrics kick in there is no doubt that this isnt a happy song. The chorus is perfect and memerable. The first song on the album to send chills down my spine.

9. Everything Changes: Another great slow depressing song. The verse is alright, but the chorus is great. And what is this? A guitar solo? Actually the second on the album i believe.

10. Take This 2/5: The chorus absolutly sucks, wtf were they thinking? The guitar riff drags on and on and on. Worst song on the album.

11. King Of All Excuses 5/5: Harder song that sounds nothing like any other hard song they have done, awesome.

12. Reply 5/5: The song they should have and did close with, gives you a nice spacey depressed feeling that i usually like getting from Staind. Not to slow not to fast.

To sum up this album. No it doesnt sound like other Staind albums, yes it has Stainds sound. As any band that plays their own music should have. Not every song on here is a winner. But yes there are plenty of songs that you will listen to over and over. If you liked all 3 previous Staind albums go pick this one up, Im sure if you were a loyal fan to begin with you have it. And if you are going to review an album, give more than a paragraph description on it and make it educated some what. After all they are for people looking to buy the album. The whole "I hate them, they suck everything that is to suck on this earth" Isnt educated and neither is "This is the greatest cd in the world, as well as the best band in the world" Find some middle ground.

3 out of 5 stars

Surprise! It's nothing surprising! August 10, 2005
15 out of 30 found this review helpful

I have been a Staind fan for four years. "Break the Cycle" is one of my all time favorite C.D.'s. 2003's "14 Shades of Gray" was good, but not as good as its predecessor. It's hard rock cliches (soft-hard song structures with acoustic interludes) grew tired and repetitive. The band members knew it wasn't their best effort, so (in an unsurprising move), Staind soon went back into the lab to work on their next album.

While they were in the studio, guitarist Mike Mushok stirred up the usual hype, saying the album is "the best thing we've ever done," and it "will surprise a lot of people." He said some of the songs were the heaviest they've ever written, with "brutal riffs." But then, in early July, I heard the new lead single, "Right Here. I thought it was just an OK song, so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from the upcoming album.

Now the day has come that I've been looking forward to for a while: "Chapter V" is released. Even though the band disowned Fred Durst before "14 Shades of Gray" was released, this is the first album to be completely free of Fred. Unfortunately, aside from that, this disc does not offer anything else new. In fact, "Chapter V" is like a mix of everything Staind has already done. The acoustic guitars ARE still very much here, and so are Aaron Lewis' same vocal styles and his very depressing lyrics (i.e. "I'm dead inside"). Plus, even though they may not be as obvious on this album, the soft-hard, verse chorus song structures also remain in tact. Indeed, the paths Staind tread on this C.D. are entirely too predictable. And those paths are now very old and boring, because many other bands (i.e. Puddle of Mudd, Nickelback) have also used them.

This album might be an attempt at returning to form, but, unfortunately, "Chapter V" sounds almost like a watered down carbon copy of "Break the Cycle" (which had more big riffs) and "Dysfunction" (which was, compared to this, a pretty intense album). It is heavier than "14 Shades of Gray," but that's not saying much.

There are some good aspects about "Chapter V." Two standout tracks are "Schizophrenic Conversations" and "King of All Excuses." The former track may cop the opening guitar line from their two year old hit, "It's Been a While," but it's a good ballad, and it gains some momentum well. And "King of All Excuses" opens with some pretty heavy (very heavy for Mike Mushok), crunchy riffs. Then, around two minutes in, after a brief pause, the song explodes. Plus, in several tracks, Aaron's impressive singing/crooning and personal lyrics create a very intimate atmosphere between him and the listener.

Unfortunately, Aaron's sensitive side fails to lift "Chapter V" above its lack of innovation. The listener knows what most of the rest of the C.D. is going to be like as soon as they've heard the album opener. Just about everything on "Run Away" (Mike's crunchy riffs, Aaron's aforementioned "I'm dead inside" lyrics, and a big, radio ready chorus) is very typical. "Right Here" is a bit softer, but it, too, offers nothing new. Next, the song "Please" sounds like it could have come straight from "Break the Cycle," and "Cross to Bear" has soft, almost spacey verses, but its hard choruses are very expected and predictable. Elsewhere, "Falling" is too repititous, as are Mike's guitar strums on "Devil" (making that track sound unimaginative and lazy). Finally, the ironically named "Everything Changes" begins a capella, but the acoustic strums kick in soon thereafter, and it becomes like many a past Staind ballad.

Another problem may be that, at 12 tracks, it's too short. Even if the music was a step forward, "Chapter V" lacks "the meat" to get anything accomplished. Plus, it has too much studio polish. This album is no where near as intense or exciting as Staind's first two albums.

All in all, "Chapter V" is an OK listen and Staind diehards will eat it up. Personally, however, I narrowly missed giving it two stars, because it's very bland, and it comes across as unimaginative, predictable, boring, and almost completely forgettable. Right now, Staind is just an average band; and that's something I never would have imagined saying in 2001. I hope we haven't lost the genius of Aaron Lewis forever; I hope they can find a way to get out of the rut they're currently in. Unfortunately, that may be a bit of a hard task, because, as Aaron says (in the song "Falling"): "Falling is easy; it's getting back up that becomes the problem."

4 out of 5 stars

You either hate to love it or.... February 13, 2006
12 out of 15 found this review helpful

With Staind V, we're given a great album cover, what could have been formulaic sounding tunes that are given new life by some different sounds and approaches with the composition of the guitarwork, and the ever so mastermind of sorrow, Aaron Lewis. I see someone has already gone through and given multiple neggies to all the reviews here, regardless of the reviews outlook on this album. Well, you either love staind or hate them, there doesn't seem to be a lot of middle ground...

...but middle ground is just what we get with V, it's not completely immersed in the themes of downtrodden male self pity, it's more like the Doors Jim Morrison, exploring outside the world of darkness to see if it's even worth getting up for. The guitars are what stand out on this album to me, they aren't trying to lull you along, they are hitting harder, throwing you the themes with extreme tenacity.

The song "Please" is extremely beautiful on guitars. "Run away" is a the typical formula that makes Staind a unique band, and "V" an even greater album: You have some really on the edge guitars and brooding moods, but the great singing voice of Aaron, which could be a charcoaled sandpapered growl, is instead a calming voice through the storm that we hear loud and clear. "Right Here" is a great track that again has some really superb guitar work that creates a nice melody. "Paper Jesus" is an all out electrical guitar assualt on the senses. If you liked the majority of their earlier work, you'll probably find some of the tracks here enjoyable.

5 out of 5 stars

thier best album January 30, 2006
10 out of 13 found this review helpful

staind somewhat goes back to their roots while at the same time trying to progress focusing on lewis's voice.

1.Runaway(3/5)awesome intro but sound is boring
2.Right Here(4/5)great song but overplayed on the radio
3.Paper Jesus(5/5) very different sound especially with the multiple vocals
4.Schizophrenic Conversations(4/5)
5.Falling(5/5) simply awesome
6. Cross to Bear(5/5) second favorite
7. Devil(5/5) favorite
8. Please(5/5)third favorite
9.Everything Changes(5/5)a break from anger but good
10.Take This(1/5)only bad track
11.King of Excuses(5/5) hardest song and one all can relate to
12. No Reply(4/5)

Powered by Associate-O-Matic

T-shirts, Posters

Pentagram T-shirts, bags, etc...

Gothic Posters