The Illusion Of Progress

...This CD has it's track or two but I think Staind has gotten to soft with this one. I still like the music but if you are looking for the old staind, they have gone AWOL..

I love this CD, every song is great! Caused me to want to go out and buy all the other Staind CDs I dont have!

This is ablbum is torture to listen to. Is anyone sick of Aaron's whining yet?? How much more of this garbage music can we take ??? They should have quit after their second CD. AWFUL, POINTLESS, PASSIONLESS...

I own all Staind albums, and all I can say is what a fresh breath of air compared to their previous album, Chapter V. Not to rub any body the wrong way, but I only liked one-third of Chapter V and was quite disappointed expecting a superb CD like their previous albums.

They're starting to change their sound for the better as well. It's more calm but still hard at the same time. If you like their previous songs "It's Been A While," "Epiphany" "Outside," "Home," "Zoe Jane," etc. definitely pick this album up!

(PS: Aaron Lewis, release an acoustic CD please! )

I love Staind. Always have, always will. On one hand- I'm just tried of hearing the same stuff I've heard on previous Staind CDs rehashed into fresh new songs. On the other hand, this rehashed new music sounds better than most of their other music starting with 14 Shades of Gray... Basically put, same kind of music, same musical style, nearly identical lyrics-based themes from previous CDs... Five stars for their rehashing efforts. One star for their noteable lack of new creativity equals 3 stars, middle of the road for me.

I really enjoyed the first couple of Staind cd's but always wanted them to sound like this one. I could never sit through a whole cd without feeling like shooting myself (not really but it just brought me down)...this cd I could listen to all the way through with no problems emotionally and my wish for this band has come true. I don't know if that producer fixed them up or what but this is really one of the best cd's on the planet. I think it beats Nickelbacks All the Right Reasons which was a great cd and stayed in the top 40 for a couple of years. But it !!! Staind should be headlining not opening for Nickelback.

I remember when these guys came out, and til this day I love their music! Why? Because they make 1 song and since that 1 song is so good... they make 14 other songs that sound JUST LIKE IT! and then they duplicate that original song into 3 more CDs. These guys are genius! And better yet , it sounds fresh and original. I'm glad these guys are still around unlike poser bands Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots.

For other good hard rock listen to Nickelback, Limp Bizkit, and Creed.

I have been a staind fan from back in the late 90's. I loved dysfunction, tormented, and break the cycle. I think staind is going down hill. I dontknow if it is the lable or what. I understand Aaron Lewis loves his life now but his words use to be so intense and powerful. Like he was speaking my words. Now every song is the same song just a little different words. If you want to hear a good album listen to dysfunction the real fans understand.

When a band changes so much that it no longer even closely resembles its former glory we often hear the word maturation bandied about as the long suffering fans defend the suddenly discredited sad sacks they still listen to. Make no mistake about it, I am a music fan and as an artist myself I understand the need artists have to grow and evolve over time. But that is not what Staind have done.

After the success that came from the bands softer ballads of Break the Cycle it seems all Staind have left in them is one recycled power ballad after another. This is not maturation or evolution its pure stagnation. If you need any further evidence just look at who the band will be touring with--Three Doors Down and Nickelback for goddsake. Thats pathethic and so has each subsequent release been from this collection of has beens since Break the Cycle. If you like bland cookie cutter corporate rock then this cd will be right up your alley but those with discerning taste in music know better than to buy this album. It gets one star because I can't give it less.

Why would you name your album "The Illusion of Progress?" Seriously, why? I mean, you'd figure a red flag would have popped up somewhere along the way after Staind turned this turd in to Atlantic. Did no one think of the endless mockery that would ensue when music magazines and websites got wind of this paragon of irony? If baffles me. Maybe the beurocrats at the label decided it would be funny to just not say anything and let the band be ridiculed before advancing to the next item on the agenda at their morning board meeting. Moving on to the music itself... honestly, I didn't think the band had it in 'em. Yet, somehow Aaron Lewis and co. have managed to squeeze out one last nugget of mediocrity before fading entirely into obscurity. That in itself is an amazing feat, which Staind should be duly commended for. Everything else about this album is an affront to good taste and insulting to anyone capable of pronouncing the word tedious. This deposit of aural compost is one angsty, easily marketable power ballad after another, made all the worse by Staind's fat, middle-aged sad sack of a frontman's pathetic lyricism: "I cry myself to sleep" he whines in Believe, one of Illusion's myriad communion wafer-flavored yawn fests. But, as horrific as "music" like this is, if it weren't for acts like Staind, Nickelback, Breaking Benjamin and Seether to provide necessary contrast, we may not have been nearly as thankful for Radiohead and Muse's last albums. I suppose it can be seen as a sort of a war-and-peace, good-and-evil thing. So, thanks, Staind... sort of.

There is clearly no mistaking this for anything other than Staind. It sounds like an extension of the last album so if you liked the last one, you'll probably like this one too. If you were looking for a new direction or a return to the old days, you won't find either here. To me, this vein of Staind is laid back and it flows so smoothly that I find it sort of entrancing, and oddly calming, yet still powerful. Don't get me wrong; it's not background music at all. And the vocals - I just love Aaron's voice! My only objection is the track "The Corner." It's a bit odd for me with the choral background vocals - almost has a gospel vibe or an American Idol finale.

If you have liked Staind's previous release you will definitely not be disappointed. The guys have delivered their own brand of hard rock with their latest release, The Illusion of Progress. With this album Staind really shines, I have been recommending it to my friends and family alike!

It's definitley worth giving a listen, whether your a staind fan or not. It doesn't abandon the dark looming sound that makes Staind what they are, but it has a touch of something new. It's not a totally new sound, but it's a unique spin on the old sound, and it works. I like it.

Aaron Lewis sounds the best he has on this album. When i first heard it i thought it wasn't him they did and excellent job on his vocals. That being said this album has the classic Staind hooks that make you want to sing along but it's definitely one of their mellowest albums. Lower levels of distortion make this album more rock than metal. Very enjoyable but not hard enough in my opinion.

I enjoyed this cd, in the past I heard this was supposed to be an album as hardcore as "dysfunction" but, it is more a continuation of the albums after that, songs about forgiveness and more ballads. Still, a great album and worth putting in the collection.

A new collection of mid-tempo, rock-ballads that remind us that Aaron really, really, really hates himself. These guys need a cup of coffee. A triple latte. A Sobe Adrenaline!

I listened to this twice, not one song caught my attention. It's dull, aching and familiar. I know "Metallica" and "Linkin Park" take a lot of heat for changing, but, they also keep selling records like mad and attracting new fans. Maybe it's time for "Staind" to record a "new" album rather than re-mixing their last three.

I was really into this band up to "14 Shades of Gray", but "V" just put me to sleep and "The Illusion of Progress" is no illusion, no progress here at all.

"Illusion of Progress" is by far the BEST Staind album to date. Yes, I'm a huge fan of their earlier stuff but you can't keep playing the same old thing album after album. Staind has grown musically and have taken a chance of creating an album that is far reaching than anything they have done. Take for example the song "The Corner." When I heard the song for the very first time I got goose bumps because the song melodically tells a story that builds into an all out choir at the end. "Pardon Me" is another brilliant song that demonstrates the band's growth (another song that is on heavy rotation on my MP3 player).

"Illusion of Progess" is one of the best albums of 2008!

This album caught me off guard at first. I did not know how to react to it, as I was hoping for somewhat of a mix between "Break the Cycle" and the last two albums. However, after listening to it a handful of times, I have found myself truly loving this album. It is difficult to realize that different is not always a bad thing. Aaron Lewis is still the best lead man out there in my book, and always will be. So everyone just calm down and rate this CD on its own merit. If you stop comparing it to their previous work and just take it for what it is, then the ratings would go up. This is not 1999 anymore, so let's move on and enjoy the new music Staind has made.

Also, if I am not mistaken, this is the last record they will make with their current label. I think Atlantic has had a hand in making Staind come up with so many ballads. For those of you who want the old Staind, I am sorry that this is not them, however their music is still very good. With a new label, there is no saying for sure what direction the might go next. They might have been waiting for their next label to go back to their old style. I do not think Atlantic and Staind see eye to eye as much anymore, so we will see in about two years when they might be with Roadrunner.

I must say that I was very disappointed in this album. There are no tracks that stand out: it's just a mediocre attempt all around. I've listened to the album several times and it just isn't very good. If you like Staind, I'd suggest anything from Dysfunction thru Chapter V. However, just like several tracks on this album, this new album itself is sadly skippable.

Listen I've been reading numerous reviews on how this album is just more of the same droll that's already been done. I agree to a certain extent but, it's still brilliant. The songs still have power and make a difference. I've been a fan for years, not about to back out now. It's worth it.