I freaking love what Mushok did with this new album.. I bought it and overall I dig it... and as fucking cool as Aaron is I am really disapointed with the vocals on this cd. I always love what he writes about... but I mean just his approach kind of lacked the intensity that the guitars were carrying. Not dissing Staind.. This cd is much better than 14 Shades.. Just wanted to share my thoughts... I want to see what you all have to say about it.. be honest.. even badass signed bands love criticism.. its what makes you better
Nah, I think the vocals from Aaron are awesome, as usual. The only thing I would change, if I could, is making Aaron sing a little harsher in Run Away, Paper Jesus, and King of all Excuses.
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"And you say that I'm weak, so show me the proof, cuz I still exist in spite of you." -Schizophrenic Conversations
Finally, someone who's got brains. Yes I believe it's very noticable that the vocals just aren't up to par with the music. It's like listening to Britney Spears trying to sing a Death Metal song, it just DOESN'T sound right and completely out of place.
i agree with PK, the album kicks ass but when i first heard some of the songs i was expecting some screaming or something but then comes some lightened up voice. King of all Excuses is really good tho.
I agree with the Paper Jesus comment... that song could be so righteously bad ass... but its like a failed attempt at alice in chains to me..... But the music is fucking awesome.... I am not even saying that there needs to be screaming... the vocals just need to be more aggressive cause Mushok destroys on this cd... I love it.. but I really wish that Aaron would have stepped it up a notch... even if it was just a few songs... Like on Break the Cycle.. fucking "Cant Believe" if Aaron would have done something like that.. HOLY SHIT this cd would have been tremendous.. but yeah
I haven't got the album yet so I won't comment on the songs of Chapter V. But if you're using Can't Believe as an example of intensity I'll have to disagree with you.
Yes, I am aware that the mood of the song was angry but I just couldn't understand a damn thing he was saying and I consider it to be the worse songs on Break the Cycle IMO. But Can't Believe did had another version which still managed to capture the angry mood but yet was a lot more understandable and melodic. This is of course the unplugged version which is extremely good in my opinion.
If the vocals in the original were probably more understandable and melodic the song would have been a lot better to me. I'll also like to use the unplugged version of Waste as an example. The bridge part of the original song (Well **** them, and **** him and **** her.... part) was screaming and I had to work hard to understand the meaning of it. The unplugged version of the song definitely is better in this sense.
Just my friendly opinion. I'll wait till I get the album before I agree or disagree with you on Paper Jesus.
I'd have to disagree that Aaron's vocals on Chapter V are of lesser quality than those of Staind's other albums, but I do notice a small step down from his, sometimes over-the-top, vocals on 14 Shades... There are a couple different reasons for this.
Perhaps Aaron is attempting to make his songs more singable. Face it, no average person can come close to singing "Yesterday" or "Price to Play." This takes away from the relationship between Aaron and his listeners--if the listeners have a bitch of a time singing the songs, they won't sing along, and thus won't, potentially, feel as emotionally attached to it.
Another thought to consider is the fact that Staind plays almost everyday for months on end and to sing songs like "Yesterday" everyday gets incredibly hard to do--especially with a lack of proper nutrition due to being on tour, not getting as much rest as one should as a singer, and other conditions like weather, for instance. Aaron seems to be very anal about getting things right vocally, live, and if conditions aren't allowing him to do that and his melodies are too difficult to sing, then perhaps stepping it down a notch and giving his audience more for their money (in a more sharpened performance) is what he wants.
I just wouldn't say Aaron "phoned it in" on Chapter V, but rather that he realized his own vocal capabilities and what fits with the band (maybe he wanted Mike to receive more of the spotlight this time). But regardless, I still think we all agree--he's one hell of a singer.
Or maybe there's just a natural change between 14 Shades and Chapter V, just as there's been a natural change from Tormented to BTC (yes I'm aware Dysfunction was the bridge). Staind have evolved, along with it Aaron's lyrics and his style of singing. I mean listening to Self Destruct or Tolerate is a huge contrast to Paper Jesus and such like...
Posts: 4 | Location: Hitchin, Herts, England (i.e. near London, UK) | Registered: 13 August 2005
Oh no dat album ROCKS!!!!!!! Don't crucify me for sayin dis but its a lot better dan the 14 shades of grey one. I duno but that album just didnt do staind justice.....but then again its only my opinion. Any more Irish staind fans out there goin to the gig in dublin??????
I have nothing against anyone on this board, but there is a point that I can not take anymore. I know some people , or rather a lot, wanted some screaming from Aaron on this album, because 14 shades of gray lacked it a little bit. Honestly, I love Aarons voice when he doesn't scream...I don't like the screaming. He has a beautiful voice, and screaming covers it up. Also, Aaron has a severe throat disease called "Throat Polyps" I'm sure you all know. I know what they are, I used to want to be a nurse...I'm only 18 but I had a dream. Throat polyps are nickle sized blisters in the throat, or nasal passageways. Aaron should NOT be able to talk, let alone sing like he can. IIt requires heavy throat coaching from a therapist to recover from this disease...He is not taking coaching. I hate to break it, but Aaron will not be able to scream like he used to be able to. Don't be disappointed in him either...He is giving it all he has...He screamed incredibly well in King of all Excuses for someone that should not be singing. If any of you watched the channel "Fuse" on August 9th when their CD came out...They performed live...Aaron cannot scream anymore...I recorded the performance..They played -- Falling, then For You, then Right Here, then It's Been Awhile, and some of Mudshovel...Aaron didn't scream on any of those songs like he used to...He can't...He has my full respect for giving us all he has...He could have just walked away a long time ago, and gave up, but he thought of us.
-Life is just a game...We all have to play, and we all have to lose.- Me
Posts: 6 | Location: Unknown | Registered: 10 August 2005
Originally posted by Dustin: I have nothing against anyone on this board, but there is a point that I can not take anymore. I know some people , or rather a lot, wanted some screaming from Aaron on this album, because 14 shades of gray lacked it a little bit. Honestly, I love Aarons voice when he doesn't scream...I don't like the screaming. He has a beautiful voice, and screaming covers it up. Also, Aaron has a severe throat disease called "Throat Polyps" I'm sure you all know. I know what they are, I used to want to be a nurse...I'm only 18 but I had a dream. Throat polyps are nickle sized blisters in the throat, or nasal passageways. Aaron should NOT be able to talk, let alone sing like he can. IIt requires heavy throat coaching from a therapist to recover from this disease...He is not taking coaching. I hate to break it, but Aaron will not be able to scream like he used to be able to. Don't be disappointed in him either...He is giving it all he has...He screamed incredibly well in King of all Excuses for someone that should not be singing. If any of you watched the channel "Fuse" on August 9th when their CD came out...They performed live...Aaron cannot scream anymore...I recorded the performance..They played -- Falling, then For You, then Right Here, then It's Been Awhile, and some of Mudshovel...Aaron didn't scream on any of those songs like he used to...He can't...He has my full respect for giving us all he has...He could have just walked away a long time ago, and gave up, but he thought of us.
i beg to differ with you maybe you havent been to any of their shows. last week in boston for instance, they ended with mudshovel and aaron screamed his ass off, just like the original, so all of the people saying aaron cant scream anymore, give it a break. maybe he's just growing as a singer and doesnt want to be like every other new heavy band out there that has to scream thier lyrics because they have absolutely no vocal talent.
I wondered why he mumbled the ''everything falls apart'' part in crawl when i saw them in manchester, then heard that throat disease thing..but he definetley screamed his ass off during that part at the show in boston. He probably just doesn't want to push it. Singing IS his career, if you ran track and had a bad knee, you'd probably take it easy every now and again just like he does with the screaming, and not force it.
I agree i don't like the screaming so much either, bcz mainly bands that scream all the time lack the actual ability to sing. Aaron Lewis has a brilliant voice. I really love the way he sang "devil"!!honestly that song is just the best. Gud on him to still be singin even though he has throat disease.
I was really impressed with Mike as usual. Aaron could have been a little more aggressive but still kicked ass in every song. Im just happy this album was heavier than 14Shades, I was a little dissapointed in that one.
" If you just walked away what could I really say? "
Posts: 4 | Location: FL | Registered: 13 August 2005
I dont like Aaron Screaming that much I think hes Gotta Beautiful Voice and he should use it , but not scream as much Thats just how I see it I dont know about anyone else.
" Like voices in the rain , Like a song without a name , Like Angel's Wing's & Wispering's Of Love we lost & found along the way"- Staind ' Lost Along The Way'
Posts: 274 | Location: United States of America | Registered: 17 July 2005
Every album Staind does matches something in my life, (except I don't think I've matured enough to handle all of 14 Shades...little too mellow for me). Tormented is wicked angry music, Dysfunction is good for that in between kind of feeling and then Break the Cycle is just the cure for a really depressing day. 14 Shades has some songs good for all those plus a few happy ones. (Zoe Jane is so sweet it doesn't make a diff to me that its so mellow) For me Chapter V is a reflection of my views on things like the Church and a reflection of how things are at home with my parents and on how I feel about everything right now.
So with that said...yes the screaming was cool. I saw the show in Clarkston, MI and when they did Mudshovel at the end Aaron screamed and I was jumping like mad. I did notice too that for Crawl and he did not really scream like in the album, but was kind of like fake screaming if that's possible...in any case I love everything they do in different ways according to my mood and if Aaron singing for a long time means no more screaming that's perfectly fine with me. His voice is just kick ass no matter what he does, and the oppertunity it provides for his bandmates to throw down some wicked shit, is cool too. They don't get enough credit on their own as musicians, at least from me. So now I can love them all more.
SVRaven
Posts: 21 | Location: MI | Registered: 13 June 2005
staind.ubb.atlanticrecords.com 
