Break the Cycle [PA] by Staind

Staind's 2001 release, Break the Cycle, launched the band into mainstream status. I believe they deserve every bit of popularity they have attained. Their dark, angry songs range from light to heavy but all of them absolutely rock. Not only is the music enjoyable, but it is also something many people can relate to.

Lead vocalist Aaron Lewis continues to belt out his words of sadness and frustration but does so with more lyrical and vocal talent than most "teen angst" groups of today.


What Would You Do?
The album starts off with heavy guitars leading in what Would You Do? This song is heavy and has a powerful message about compassion. The lyrics are not about Lewis?s pain, for once. Instead he says that we need to wake up to the many problems in the world that we often turn our backs on if they don?t affect us personally. The chorus asks, ?What would you do if it was you?? ? a simple yet powerful message that everyone should ask themselves.

Pressure
This is another heavy one with very personal lyrics about living up to standards that he just cannot: ?My stomach?s in knots and the room starts to spin/ As I wait for this Valium to slowly kick in/ Can?t see through this/ Too much pressure.? The frustration comes across clearly through Lewis?s vocals.

Fade
This song sounds almost like a therapy session. The slow, brooding verses make it easy to envision Lewis sitting in the corner of his room, curled up in a ball, rocking back and forth as he sings: ?I try to breathe/ Memories overtaking me.? Then it picks up into a chorus that is easy to sing along to and probably easy for many people to relate to: ?I just needed someone to talk to/ You were just too busy with yourself.? I consider this one of, if not the best track on Break the Cycle.

It?s Been a While
This huge crossover hit was all over the place in 2001. It started on rock stations but was also played on pop stations. I even heard a classic rock station bill it as a ?future classic.? I?m sure many people are tired of hearing this song as it was in enormous radio rotation. However, now that Fade is the big hit, and this one isn?t heard quite so often, Staind fans can now take it for what it is ? a great song. The soft, dark verses may be repetitive, but I think they work in showing his longing for the past. The lyrics exhibit his pain and low self esteem, but a touch of positivity comes out when he sings: ?But all that s*** seems to disappear when I?m with you.? Not the most romantic line, but not bad for Staind.

Change
The verses are slow, but the chorus is loud and choppy. The coolest part of this song is the muffled yet amplified vocals that sound more metal than the rest of the album. They appear at the bridge and at the very end, fading out yelling ?again and again and again..." This is a very cool effect.

Can?t Believe
That effect continues into the next song?s verses as Lewis screams almost indecipherable lines. It sounds like he is screaming into a tin can or something. The chorus is a soft singing of the song?s title. Going back and forth like that sounds really cool in this short but decent track.

Epiphany
This one is very slow with a pace almost like that of Outside. The lyrics are sad: ?I am nothing more than a little boy inside that cries out for attention though I always try to hide.? The vocals are brilliant. Lewis is great at revealing the emotion of the song as he sounds more like he is crying for help than singing a song.

Suffer
This is one of the loudest on the album. The verses start soft and gradually work up to Lewis?s screaming, ?Suffer!? as another voice repeats him in a haunting whisper. The chorus doesn?t work quite as well with this song as most of their choruses do. I think they could have kept the pace loud and angry here and used that kind of chorus in a different song. Nevertheless, it is a really good, angry tune.

Safe Place
This is a medium-paced one about missing his wife while out on the road. It?s similar to the topic they covered on Home, but instead of worrying about coming home to loneliness, he knows that there is someone home waiting while he is alone now. It?s one of the more cheery songs on the album, but since this is Staind, that doesn?t make it all that cheery. Still, it?s very good.

For You
This is the latest one to receive radio play. I like this one. The way the lines are broken up make it easy to get stuck in your head from the very beginning: ?To my mother/ To my father/ it?s your son or/ it?s your daughter.? This is another one singing about emotional pain from his family: ?I?m f***ed up because you are.? The guitar is choppy and heavy, adding to the angry atmosphere of this track.

Outside
This song stayed in heavy rotation on many stations for about a year, even while It?s Been a While was getting heavy airplay. The staying power on this song is well deserved. I love the original, acoustic version, except the part where Fred Durst has to ruin it with his idiotic ?This is the real mutha f***in? deal, y?all.? This studio version is Durst-free, and surprisingly, almost as powerful as the original. The power of the original, impromptu version is superb in its simplicity. This one is heavier and involves the whole band, but still sounds almost as emotional. Kudos to the rest of the band for keeping the integrity of this song by making it louder and harder, but very close to the original and not too over-the-top. This is somewhat a case where the sequel does not suck.

Waste
This track is very slow for most of it. The chorus picks up a bit and then goes back down as Lewis sings about another person?s wasted life. One part of the song, however, is very fast and loud: ?I?ve had doubts/ I have failed/ I?ve f***ed up...? This part is insane but very short. Part of me wishes there were more to that than just what is there, but it?s a good song anyway.

Take It
The last song is pretty hard except when Lewis sadly drones, ?make it go away,? at the end. It?s a good song, but there?s not really anything special to it. I think ending with change would have worked a lot better.

The album I bought has an acoustic version of It?s Been a While as a hidden track. It wasn?t completely necessary, but I?m glad it?s there. It?s a really cool version, although I can see how some people would be annoyed by having two versions on the CD after hearing it millions of times on the radio. Personally, I think the song is great, and this acoustic version is a better way to end the album than the previous song.


While Break the Cycle may not be as heavy as their previous album, I think it is good that such great rock music has been brought to the masses. I only hope people take the time to check out Staind?s earlier material. Either way, this is a great album from a great band, and I am proud to say I live only ten minutes away from their hometown of Springfield, Mass.