Not much progress

Springfield, Mass., band Staind has gone through many changes. After debuting with heavy-metal album Tormented in 1996, the band has progressively softened, enjoying commercial hits such as “Outside” and “It’s Been Awhile.”

Through constant touring and steady album releases, Staind has remained one of the more popular rock radio acts. They are one of the few bands of the past 10 years to keep the same lineup, and are usually considered in the same company as Nickelback and 3 Doors Down in terms of popularity. The Illusion of Progress is the band’s sixth studio album, and is the follow-up to 2005’s Chapter V.

The band’s first single, the predictable–sounding “Believe” is redolent of the first single from their last album, “Right Here.” Both songs start out with choppy but subdued verses culminating in big, wall-of-sound choruses that, while managing to be catchy, don’t provide anything the listener hasn’t already heard. Lead singer Aaron Lewis’ voice is still as good as it is recognizable, and the solid production holds up against their past records.

“All I Want” is the clear choice for the band’s next single. This radiant piece has a multitude of guitar tracks layered behind Lewis’ voice that generates a copious euphony. While many of their previous numbers have dealt with personal and relationship struggles, “Want” seems more like a heartfelt love ballad, with lyrics like: “I can’t live without / All I think about / All I want is you / You’re all I dream about / I can’t live without /all I want is you.” The song is a more invigorating change of pace compared to the sludgy “Believe.”

The Illusion of Progress finds the band completely eschewing the metal sound of their first two albums. This is good news to fans of their newer albums – those who likely haven’t even heard of Tormented and only remember “Mudshovel” from Staind’s second album Dysfunction. Almost all of the tunes are soft and radio-friendly, with gentle verses leading to predictable choruses. Although the album will likely garner Staind more enormous tours and success, one has to wonder how much longer this formula can provide the same results. Considering this, The Illusion of Progress seems to be the perfect name for this album.