Staind makes mark
Hard rockers, proud to still be around after 10 years, make Halifax debut in Concert on the Hill

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts is a town of contrasts, as the home of both Dr. Seuss, creator of beloved, brightly coloured children’s books, and also Staind, whose heavy, portentous songs have sold tens of millions of records over the past decade.

But Staind singer Aaron Lewis is no rock and roll grinch, and is downright upbeat about performing at the Canada Day concert on Citadel Hill with Nickelback, Daughtry, Finger Eleven and Hedley.

"We’re actually quite looking forward to it, we’re always happy to be going some place we haven’t played before," says Lewis on the phone from Springfield, over the sound of his daughters playing in the background.

"You might actually be surprised at the number of places we haven’t been before."

Still, Staind has covered a lot of ground since the release of its debut CD Tormented in 1996, getting an initial leg up into the mainstream music industry from Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst, but soon charting their own course with a sound built on darker, moodier strain of classic heavy metal, and brooding ballads.

The mix proved a winning formula, allowing Staind to survive past the post-grunge era by straddling both modern rock and adult contemporary formats, culminating in the platinum Chapter V in 2005.

Now the group is summing up that career with The Singles: 1996-2006; augmenting hits like It’s Been Awhile and So Far Away with acoustic covers of songs by Tool, Alice in Chains and Pink Floyd.

The release allowed the band some breathing room after exhaustive touring supporting Chapter V, while Lewis played a string of solo acoustic shows doing stripped down Staind tunes, covers of personal favourites and even making songs up on the spot on stage.

Plus, 10 years is a good a time as any to issue a retrospective. It certainly makes more sense than Hilary Duff putting out a best-of after releasing a grand total of two CDs.

"Well, you know . . . obviously record labels and things of that nature played a part, and they wanted to have something to put out," sighs Lewis, who in the past has expressed dissatisfaction with many music biz conventions. "The fact it was a 10-year marker was a pretty cool thing to have in place. For people who might have just heard us from our last big single, which was Right Here, it kind of put out there that we’ve been around for 10 years and have 18 or 20 radio singles that have all been in the top 10.

"It just felt like a good milestone to put out there. More than anything, I think it marks the fact that we’re still here. The fact that after 10 years, with the way that radio and the industry changes . . . the landscape has completely changed underneath our feet while we’ve been here. And yet we’re still here, which I think is what I’m most proud of, and what our biggest milestone is."

After this summer’s Staind shows, and a string of Lewis solo shows later in the season, the band will reconvene to work out new material, with a plan to head back to the studio in November, a goal that had been previously delayed by a change in management. While the newer tracks on The Singles veer into acoustic territory, guitarist Mike Mushok has hinted in interviews that they may revisit their more metallic roots. But Lewis says nothing is set in stone.

"It’s really very hard to tell at this point," he concludes. "We’re always gonna write heavy material, and we’re always gonna write the stuff that gets played on a broader spectrum of formats of radio. That’s what we’ve always done in the first place, even if you go back to the very first record we ever wrote. There was lighter and heavier stuff on there as well.

"As a songwriter and as an artist I’ve never wanted to allow myself to be pigeonholed into being one thing or another thing. I can write a country song, I can write a love ballad, I can write an R&B song, I can write a death metal.

"I can write whatever you want me to write and I can write whatever I want to write, and I’ve always wanted it to remain that way. I think we’ve succeeded in doing that. I don’t think Staind can be pigeonholed into one thing or another. We can and have written songs that have cracked the top five of the top 40, while others could only get played on rock radio, and I like that."

Man oh man i can't wait for the album!!

That sounds awesome, I love the fact that they can write a variety of music and not just fall into a catagory. Thanks Lisa for posting!

I'm gonna be at that show in 3 days!!! It's really good to hear a positive article about Staind!

GREAT Review...Aarons awesome!! Thanks Lisa

thanks for posting that, some good reading right there.

I thought they were recording this past May. What were they doing for the past 2 months? I guess they were taking a break, i was just under the impression they were recording. Oh well, guess we will have to wait a little longer.

quote:

Originally posted by Marcus:
I'm gonna be at that show in 3 days!!! It's really good to hear a positive article about Staind!

yo you better come back and post a set list man we need to know.

quote:

Originally posted by *Lisa*(AKA) ADDICTEDtoStAiND:
yo you better come back and post a set list man we need to know.

Will do!!! I wonder if Aaron will play one of the songs he's working on... He's been doing that at his acoustic shows right? Man... I wish I could go to one of those!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Marcus:

quote:

Originally posted by *Lisa*(AKA) ADDICTEDtoStAiND:
yo you better come back and post a set list man we need to know.

Will do!!! I wonder if Aaron will play one of the songs he's working on... He's been doing that at his acoustic shows right? Man... I wish I could go to one of those!!!

No, he won't play one of his songs that he's working on. Those are for his solo shows and his solo acoustic album. Who knows maybe he will hit Canada he keeps adding dates to his tour you never know.

quote:

Originally posted by Emperor:
I thought they were recording this past May. What were they doing for the past 2 months? I guess they were taking a break, i was just under the impression they were recording. Oh well, guess we will have to wait a little longer.

They have been in the studio. The article says they will RETURN to the studio, after the Staind shows and Aaron shows