I'm an older music fan. I've lived thru the Classic Rock era, Prog Rock, Punk, New Wave, Pop, Glam, Hair Metal, Speed Metal, Reggae, etc. And I enjoy everything from Jazz to Black Metal. I've seen it all, boys and girls. And I have to tell all you fake, pseudo, poser, music reviewers, this is probably one of the worst eras for Rock music I've ever witnessed in my life. Most of the Metal and Rock has absolutely nothing to say! And no way to say it! There is almost no originality anymore. The bands all sound exactly the same. British Synth Pop, Death Metal, Post Metal, Metalcore, Mathcore, and yes, especially Nu-Metal. And songwriting? Forget it. It's gone the way of the dinosaur. No more Black Sabbath, Zeppelin, Robin Trower, or Bad Company. I can sample a 100 new Metal or Pop albums and I hear maybe one that sounds unique. No one will remember the bulk of these bands. I'll remember Staind.

"Hey, man. It's not cool to listen to Staind anymore. Dude, they've lost their edge." Afraid of what your friends might say? Maybe your friends are fools. So, to you music snobs that make it a hobby to bash this band because it's not the kind of music you enjoy, you wouldn't recognize a well crafted Rock song if it jumped up and bit you on the nipple. I fart in your general direction, sirs. It all sounds like sour grapes to me. You wish that they would continue recording in the style of their first two albums over and over, but you complain that they're recording the same album over and over. You wish you were making the kind of money that this band is making. (I know, I know, "It's not about the money. It's about the music." Yeah, that's what musicians say when they're not making any.) You only wish you could affect people with music the way that Aaron Lewis does. What a bunch of frustrated musicians and welps. You complain that all Aaron does is whine. Take a look in the mirror. If you're all so self-righteously happy in your musical proclivities, I have a Doris Day album you can have. Right now.

For my money, along with Travis Meeks from Days of The New, Aaron Lewis is probably one of THE greatest straight-up singer/songwriters I've heard in Music in the last twenty years. PERIOD! I know that's a bold statement, but I STAIND behind it. (Oooo, sorry.) I'm in my 40s, and the last time I broke up with a chick, I wasn't listening to a Frank Sinatra album, Radiohead, Tool, or Emperor's Anthems to The Welkin at Dusk. I was playing a Staind album. Me, I'll take Aaron Lewis and Staind when I'm feelin' down. Everytime.

How many artists can write a song about their daughters, and make it work? Do any Rock artists know how to just sing a simple song, anymore? Not many. Aaron Lewis' lyrics are tragic, sad, tender, cathartic, heartfelt, painful, and just downright beautiful. His words are full of alienation, hope, despair, love, longing, frustration, and life. All the things that are required for a songwriter to speak to this music fan.

I have to agree that these other bands are just copycatting this dreaded Nu-Metal style. Nickelback, Breaking Benjamin, Evans Blue, etc. (This sub-categorization of music is the dumbest part of Rock music to ever come down the pike. What a bunch of alienating nonsense, invented by music snobs with nothing better to do.) There is nothing wrong with enjoying different styles of music. As long as you can appreciate the best that a particular genre has to offer. Staind is THE best at what they do. They are original. Everything else is a pale imitation. The bands that progress beyond the limits of their nature and experiment too much, usually fold. If I like Staind, I wanna hear Staind. I'm pleased that I can count on Staind sounding like Aaron's cries in the night. So what if people call it Nu-Metal or Emo? For some, life is painful. For others, the world is on fire. "Bartender, I'll have a Xanax and a Red Bull." You never get depressed? Yeah, right. I bet you never get any chicks either. So what if the heavier edge is gone from their music? You should have figured that out by now, spendthrift. Aaron Lewis and Staind are mellowing. And maturing. (Yeah, I said it. Wanna fight? Anytime, music snobs. I'll run you over with my Harley.) And unlike the last Cannibal Corpse album, I can actually sing along with their music. Which just becomes more dignified with every album they put out.

Thanks, for gettin' me thru some tough times, Aaron. I dig your music, man. This is a f$%king GREAT album! Keep making goods ones. And I'll keep buying 'em.

As long as you turn it way up, this album is heavy enough, in all the right places. Constructed around Aaron's lyrics, this one definitely contains the softer, soulful side of their sound at times. Which I prefer, seeing as how I'm as old as Methuselah and all. When all is said and done, it's a beautiful mix. (Another music snob fallacy: If music has a commercial feel, it's worthless. An absolutely closed-minded and ludicrous viewpoint.) It would be apropos to take Staind out of the sticky morass of Nu-Metal and place them in the wide open field of Music. I see the album title as a tongue-in-cheek stab at critics that accuse them of making the same music over and over again. Or Aaron has discovered a hard truth about getting older: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Works either way. It moves me enough to give it Five Star status. Best Riff: Rainy Day Parade! Best Song: It's a TIE! Tangled Up In You! Wow! and Raining Again! If you APPRECIATE Staind, you don't want to miss this album. It's one of their BEST, and a worthy addition to their catalog.

Everyone that hates this band, your buddies just voted you out of the band, and your mom is yelling at you to clean up your room.

Everyone else,

ENJOY.

I'm a big fan of Aaron Lewis and Staind. I do have to say though that this is their weakest CD. The music's not hard enough to be interesting and it's not soft enough to be interesting either. It's in this weird kind of middle zone. There are a few songs I really like such as Lost Along the Way, Tangled Up In You, The Corner & Nothing Left to Say but the rest of them blend together way too much. It's hard to distinguish when one song ends and another one begins. The good thing about this release however is that Aaron's vocals are top notch as usual. As far as the lyrics go, I could take them or leave them. If you are a fan of earlier Staind, this definitely won't be an album I could see you enjoying.

I still remember the first time I saw Staind in concert back in 2001. I hardly knew anything about the band but it turned out to be one of the most incredible shows I've ever seen! Shortly after this they became my favorite band and even managed to change my taste in music for the better. I must have listened to "Break the Cycle" countless times throughout high school. That album truly must be one of the greatest of all time in my opinion. Well seven years down the road (can't believe its been that long!) and I still love Staind even though I no longer consider them my favorite.

Unfortunately I've felt the last couple albums including this one lack originality and the ability to stir up emphatic feelings like the other ones did. I hate to compare one album to another because I love to watch bands branch out and progress in order to push their creativity. But with Staind I don't think they've branched out enough and it's left the last few albums sounding like cloned counterparts of previous efforts. I'm not saying the albums aren't good, personally I love 14 Shades of Grey and Chapter V but the thing that made B.T.C. so epic is that fans felt like they could relate to it. It seemed in way to define a new generation much like Pearl Jam's "Ten" or Nirvana's "Nevermind" did in the 90's. Although Aaron and the group still write great songs and lyrics they don't seem to be able to pull fans in like they once did. "The Illusion of Progress" is a good album and is worth checking out but if your looking for another epic Staind album you probably wont find it...

ON A SIDE NOTE: I THINK ANY REVIEW COMPARING RECENT Staind albums to "Dysfunction" or "Tormented" should be DISREGARDED. People either loved or hated the change in musical direction the group made (I for one loved it) but its like trying to compare apples and oranges. They're two completely different styles and sounds.

The Illusion of Progress is a great record that can easily be considered a sequel album to both Chapter V and Shades of Gray. Sure, there are parts where this album does come up below the bar that is set by the handful of singles it features. What do people honestly expect from a rock band that's already established itself? Some new groundbreaking opus? They're not the hot new band shadowing Fred Durst anymore and they're very well aware of it. They're not singing about mommy and daddy not loving them with gutteral screams and lyrics that sound like they came from a 17-year olds diary. Now, they sing about life's challenges with a more mature tone, willing to allow some light to shine with their defining darkness.

Sure, this album may not have half of the album in the top 40, but it still has singles worth looking into. 'Believe' can easily be identified as a coming-of-age battle cry, one that I particularly relate to since I first heard it when I was going through some hard times away from home. 'All I Want' is a song that is more on the lighter side of Staind's sound but is catchy enough to make note of. 'Tangled Up In You' is an excellent and unexpected love song with a timeless feel. 'The Corner' is a blues and gospel wrapped ballad that will make your hair stand on end.

The main message of the album seems to be accepting the fact that life is what it is: there is both progress and challenge flowing in cycles. It is how we deal with these challenges that defines us. Whether we are able to disillusion ourselves or progress down the road, either way we still need to believe.

Not all will agree with me on this, but Staind's best songs are true deep and melodic ones, and this album which I just finished listening for the third time is filled with melodic choruses and passion in each. Truly a great voice and great music. Compare this to the junk that is coming out these days from new bands with no talent but to dress funny, and you'll see what I mean with deep and passion in music!