Dysfunction

Amazon.com

Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst fell in love with Staind so hard that he coproduced their major-label debut. This fact should be endorsement enough for the Massachusetts-based quartet's target audience. Although not as heavy on hip-hop influences, singer Aaron Lewis's guttural, dragged-through-the-mud vocals dig into the meaty guitar wall and thrash around the speakers like Durst's band. Dysfunction's all-you-can-eat buffet of decibels grows a bit wearisome by the end of the album, but a couple of numbers stand up and demand to be noticed. "Just Go" boasts a classically sludgy Mudhoney-like groove before settling into an uncoiling murmur à la Judas Priest. The well-executed moshpit-ready "Mudshovel" gleefully cops from Alice in Chains' psychedelic leanings. Staind's hard-rock epistles are certain to gather the band a devoted following. --Jason Josephes

Product description

Staind: Aaron Lewis (vocals); Mike Mushok (guitar, background vocals); Johnny "Old School" April (bass, background vocals); Jon Wysocki (drums, background vocals). Recorded at Studio Litho, Seattle, Washington. Personnel: Aaron Lewis (vocals); Mike Mushok (guitar, background vocals); Jon Wysocki (drums, background vocals); Johnny April (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Terry Date. Recording information: Studio Litho, Seattle, WA. Staind's big break came in 1997 when the band opened up for Limp Bizkit in Connecticut. 20 minutes before Staind was to go on, Limp's singer Fred Durst tried to have them kicked off the bill. Fred thought they were Satan worshippers due to the nature of their cover art. After Staind's set, Fred said they were the best live band he'd seen in two years. The rest is history. Produced by Terry Date (Deftones, Pantera) and the band, DYSFUNCTION is a dark, brooding, groove-driven record. There are no pretty ballads or acoustic detours--the record slams from start to finish. Durst helped the band develop their sound and encouraged lead throat Aaron Lewis to sing more and shout less. The result is some fine, powerful vocalizing. Fans of heavy music will relish Staind's cathartic angst and flock to the sonic attack that is DYFUNCTION., ISBN13: B00000IFX4 ISBN10: B00000IFX4 Material Type: audioCD