In Stores Now

STONE SOUR’s eponymous debut has a silver certification in the UK, shifting over 60,000 units to date. In the US, ‘Stone Sour’ is three-times Grammy-nominated and certified ‘Gold’ (500K sold). This newie, their first in four years, sees the band firing on all cylinders and ready for ‘Round Two’.

While Taylor is one of metal’s leading frontmen with the Grammy-winning, multi-platinum Slipknot, Stone Sour is anything but a side project. It’s a full-time band that all members are fiercely dedicated to. Taylor spent much of ‘04/’05 supporting his other band, but will spend ‘06/’07 focusing on Stone Sour and the new album. Also comprised by guitarist James Root (also of Slipknot), bassist Shawn Economaki, guitarist Josh Rand and new drummer Roy Mayorga, Stone Sour is armed with a new album that expands beyond the palette of its predecessor. The album, produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver) is tight, crisp and full of rowdy rockers and melodic numbers.

“This album’s content will fit any mood you may be in” states guitarist Josh Rand. “If you’ve had a shitty day at work, you could crank ‘Hell And Consequences.’ If you need a little optimism, you could listen to ‘Through Glass.’ If you are feeling depressed, you could listen to ‘Zzyzx Road.’” ‘Come What(ever) May’ is a sensory experience, encompassing a wide spectrum of emotions. “30/30-150” and “Reborn” are bruisers that ramp up the adrenaline, while “Through Glass” takes up residency in your brain for days at a time, with its melodic twists and chorus. Try and purge your brain of the album’s melodies and you’ll fail.

Corey Taylor sees Stone Sour as an outlet for the things he can’t express with Slipknot. “With Stone Sour, I loosen up and show more of myself,” he reveals. “It gives me a chance to do the singing that I love to do, the type of singing that I do when I’m walking around my house.” Taylor, a self-described extrovert, may be the mouthpiece but he insists the band is a truly collaborative effort. “I’ve been able to blend into the background if needed, you know? You grow up thinking being recognized all the time will be sweet, but sometimes you just want to be one of the guys. I think I balance it fairly well, without killing people.”

Taylor understands that as his career continues, he is less and less understood and he likes it that way. “I’ve lost a little sleep over the fact that people don’t get what I do and how I do it. I do everything I can to entertain, educate and infuriate the status quo. If I give the mainstream a headache once in a while, that works for me!” It’s an attitude that attracts the disaffected youth, the kids, the anti-conservative thinker as well as the casual rock fan. “I have a conscience,” Taylor says about his writing style. “I have a respect for the music and an agenda. This could all be gone tomorrow. If all you’re doing is trying to build your Q points, what are you going to do when no one wants to see you anymore? At least I’ll be happy about the music I left behind.”

Copyright 2008 © Roadrunner Records

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