Staind - "Confessions of the Fallen"

Like they've time-traveled from 2002

Staind’s mix of Post-Grunge, Nu Metal, and Alt Metal first found success in the late 90s and early 00s. From 1996 to 2001, they released seven albums. At their peak, between 1999 and 2004, they found serious success with hits like “It’s Been Awhile” and “So Far Away”; their third album, 2001’s Break the Cycle, was certified Platinum a total of ten times in countries around the world.

But now it’s 2023. Post-Grunge, Nu Metal, and Alt Metal are all dead or seriously struggling to maintain any traction. And Staind has been dormant for 12 years. There are a lot of factors making this an incredibly steep uphill battle for this comeback album.

To its credit, Confessions of the Fallen starts off pretty strong with “Lowest in Me”, its lead single, as the album opener. It’s an aggressive, in-your-face, high-energy launching point for the album, and it’s great to see the band come out swinging.

Unfortunately, that’s about all the album has going on. I mean, old Staind fans will likely enjoy this album just fine. They still sound just like they always have. But that’s also the problem: it’s stale as hell. This album would have sold like hotcakes in the early 00s. But we’re twenty years removed, and the band hasn’t learned any new tricks.

They’re really just going through the motions.

Aside from the opening track, “Here and Now” and “The Fray” are the best efforts on the album.

If you really like Post-Grunge or Aaron Lewis’ voice (cause the dude still has a solid, unique voicebox), you might enjoy this. Otherwise, it’s a waste of time.

Rating: Red