Bust out the amorphous term "nü-metal," and a few thoughts are always quickly provoked: heavy, drop-tuned riffs, screams mixed with downtrodden melodies and overbearingly depressing lyrics. People shortly learned to associate some big names with this sound (KoRn, Limp Bizkit, Deftones), but everyone knew when Staind released their major-label debut Dysfunction that all of the trappings of this non-genre had been brought out at once. In the band's defense, the record wears most of these traits well; to their detriment, it's still full of material that's trite enough to merit the occasional eye roll.
The album burns open with "Suffocate," a tune that practically writhes through its low, low bass-driven riffs, with vocalist Aaron Lewis keeping the mood suitably down to match: "I feel nothing / Longing for something . . . All alone / I suffocate." Ah, yes, break out the criticism here, because it's fair and it will overwhelm the appreciation of this album for many: Lewis tosses contrived angst in every direction. It's true, but the album's almost nonstop saving grace is that its tracks bring forth enough power to salvage themselves. Here, by the time the song closes with Lewis's guttural scream of the word "suffocate," it is near enrapturing to anyone who will appreciate Staind's sound in the long run. From this slow, heavy track, the band goes on to develop its strengths. Faster tracks like "Raw" (a slow-growing song that's mildly grating at first), in which Lewis interchanges transitional screams with amazingly high melodic choruses, and "Spleen," the album's brutal closer with its incredible drum opening give the album a pulse, while slow burners give it a more brooding edge. Example: "Just Go," where Lewis elevates a slow bridge with surprisingly improved lyricism: "I'm water while you drown / You're lifted while I'm down / I'm cancer in your womb / I'm the needle in your spoon."
What's best about this album's experience, though, is that it's only genuinely interrupted once, with the overwhelmingly blasé "Me," a track that set an unfortunate precedent for Lewis, mostly a satisfied suburban kid according to interviews, to tap parental angst in a way that might make Coby Dick (of Papa Roach fame) blush. The song is slow, painfully contrived, and simply begs to be skipped or carefully scratched out of this album's memory. Other than that, though, Dysfunction is smooth, heavy sailing. The band's breakthrough single, "Mudshovel," brought them into the mainstream for good reason. The album's captivating lead bass line interplays incredibly with guitarist Mike Mushok's furiously paced harmonics, and Lewis brings out a captivating melody to cover safer territory -- a generic feeling of loss rather than parental woes. "Crawl" changes paces to keep its feelings acute; in the slow transitions, Lewis trims down his volume level and croons, "And I crawl / While you spit / And I crawl through you," and the album's repeated bridge of screaming "Everything falls apart" creates a powerful, if less than subtle, contrast. "Home," the band's other breakout success, returns to the slower side of the album's heavy fare for a pleasant break, keeping the CD's sound wisely varied. The album's secret track, "Excess Baggage," is also an achievement, with Lewis playing the "One nü-metal singer with an acoustic guitar" routine before doing so was cool, and doing it with his heart on his sleeve: "It's not easy to hide / All this damage inside / I'll carry you with me / Until I'm not alive," he cries into the album's closing darkness for an extremely potent effect.
So, what's wrong with Dysfunction? Well, it can't be denied: If nü-metal's not your bag, then this CD won't bring you around to a newly subtle appreciation for its form. However, if a bunch of frustrated men who mix high-ended melodies and angst-ridden screams into a well-written package can hold any appeal for you, then the album will undoubtedly be one of the best among its often humdrum peers. The album is a short nine tracks, minus one and only one weak song that calls for a skip, leaving eight of the most ballsy nü-metal tracks on the market, even if they do get soaked into their own self-absorbed lyricism at times. But, if the nü-metal shoe fits, try this album on.
Music. At the beginning of the '90s, "{\metal}" was a dirty word. A few bands, such as {$Metallica}, had enough weight to appear as heirs to the metal...More at DeepDiscount.com
This is for real. Watch out, cuz they re not gonna stop! So says Fred Durst about STAIND, and he should know. As the frontman of Limp Bizkit, Fred has...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.