Break the Cycle [PA] by Staind

Springfield, Massachusetts rock quartet Staind gained some well-deserved attention with their 1999 album Dysfunction, but that was nothing compared to their runaway success earned by its followup, 2001's Break the Cycle.  This album spawned five radio singles, and made Staind the kings of downtrodden '00s hard rock.  Though subsequent releases saw the band becoming increasingly mopier, this album still holds up as a fairly solid rocker all the way through.   

Break the Cycle starts off heavy enough with "Open Your Eyes"  Backed by some heavy guitars, singer Aaron Lewis holds off singing about personal pain and instead discusses the ills of society and the compassion we should have toward those we don't know.  But he can't hold off for too long; "Pressure" follows with the more inwardly pained lyrics typical of the band: "My stomach’s in knots and the room starts to spin / As I wait for this Valium to slowly kick in."  More headbanging abounds throughout the album.  There's the loud and angry "Suffer," the heavy, choppy catharsis of "For You," and the almostindecipherable "Can't Believe," which oscillates between soft and loud in a very interesting manner. None of these quite match the intensity of my favorite heavyStaind number "Mudshovel," but they work well nonetheless. 

But Break the Cycle isn't known for rocking the hell out.  It's more known for the moody but catchy-as-depression-can-get songs.  The main culprit is the album'smegahit "It's Been a While."  The soft, dark verses are repetitive but effective in showing his longing for the past. The lyrics exhibit his pain and low self loathing ("It's been a while since I could look at myself straight"), but a touch of positivity comes out when he sings: “But all that sh_t seems to disappear when I’m with you.” Not the most romantic line, but not bad forStaind .  This one was all over the place in 2001 - and rightly so thanks to its addictive brooding - and it's still a fun one to vibe to eight years later.  Another dark but catchy one is the therapy session set to music known as "Fade."  With lines like “I try to breathe / Memories overtaking me," it's easy to envision Lewis sitting in the corner of his room, curled up in a ball, rocking back and forth before he launches into the venting chorus: “I just needed someone to talk to / You were just too busy with yourself.”

Staind also shine on some slower numbers such as the emotional "Epiphany," another sad song but one with a dramatic chorus.  Even better is "Outside, a song that first gained attention in its acoustic form on the 1999 Family Values tour.  Asked to fill in some extra time during the show, Lewis volunteered to play this as-yet unfinished song and made up the remaining lyrics on the spot.  Break the Cycle brings in the entire band for a plugged in but still powerful rendition.  This version also gains points for being free of idiotic Fred Durstinterjections.

While I prefer the raw, heavier Dysfunction, there is still plenty to enjoy on Break the Cycle.  Sure, it has some of the band's biggest hits, but those are some damn good songs.  The album is polished just enough to bring Staind's sound to the masses but not so much so that they sound poppy.  It's still dark, angry music that gets stuck in your head.  Some unmemorable songs keep this album from being as good as it could be, but it is still one of the more solid efforts in theStaind catalog.