Website: Stone Sour
The Inside Pulse:
Contrary to what most casual rock radio listeners may think, Stone Sour is about as much “Bother” as Extreme was “More Than Words.” This perception isn’t helped by the first single from Come What(ever) May, “Through Glass,” another sparse and low-tempo number. Yes, Stone Sour is considerably more melodic than Corey Taylor’s other band, Slipknot. If anything, this release serves to prove Stone Sour is more than just a “side project” and has its own identity.
Positives: Much darker than their debut as well as other hard rock bands, Stone Sour excels when they let their metal influences take over: “Hell & Consequences” and “Reborn” places that ability front and center. That’s not to discount the first single “Through Glass” or the psychedelic-tinged “sillyworld,” both wonderfully abstract takes on today’s rock tastes. “Socio” is probably the strongest track that can’t be compared to Slipknot or Stone Sour’s previous radio hits, and “Your God” is a close second.
Negatives: Aside from Corey Taylor’s voice and much better lyrics than his contemporaries, a fair bit of Come What(ever) May doesn’t stand out too distinctively from what’s currently overplayed on rock radio. What’s more is that Stone Sour suffers at times by creating structures that are either too bland or too tweaky to be memorable, creating a chunk of skippable filler.
Cross-breed: Three Days Grace trying to recreate Slipknot’s third album.
Reason To Buy: You enjoy today’s rock radio but are looking for higher quality without deviating too much from the sound you enjoy. Or you just think Corey Taylor has a sexy voice, because believe me, it’s still sexy.
