Monday, April 29, 2013

Album Review: Stone Sour

Stone Sour
'House Of Gold & Bones Part 2'
(Roadrunner Records)


Although better known for his throat shredding vocals as frontman with the barbaric metal degenerates Slipknot, Corey Taylor has in fact released more studio albums with Stone Sour regardless of that bands unfair reputation in certain quarters that they are nothing more than another musical outlet for Taylor’s so called multitudinous musical outpourings that can’t be accommodated by the one dimensional ‘raaaarrrrgh, raaaaaarrrrgh’ songs that characterize Slipknot. Masked or not, growling or harmonising, the man has a melodic singing voice that can brilliantly showcase his lyrical stories with great clarity and the correct amount of desired rage (should it be required) than, probably, the one many currently dare consider him to receive credit for. This is, believe it or not, the second part of a double concept album of which the first part ‘House of Gold and Bones Part 1’ was released in October 2012. So, following a slightly longer interlude than you’d maybe expect, comes the eagerly awaited sequel ‘House Of Gold And Bones Part 2’ 

Where ‘House Of Gold And Bones Part 1’ finished up –( with an enraged ‘until you give me what I want, you can’t stop me now’ on its closing track ‘Last Of The Real’) – the follow up album uses a different approach and, indeed, lulls a false sense of tranquillity on first song ‘Red City’ with minimalistic piano tinkering just below the engine of a haunting vocal that echoes and whispers before bursting through the soundscape with surprising viciousness for a number of seconds before returning back to its contented discord. There is more pace ahead though, and it gallops into view on ‘Black John’ which opens with some frazzled radio feedback before fleshing out into the pounding drums and screeching guitar work composition that Corey Taylor’s gnashing vocal snaps and rips at mercilessly. Next up ‘Peckinpah’ is more of the generic metal than anything else found here and it kicks and bucks and snorts with all the pieces metal brings. On ‘Stalemate’ they merge easy rock, metal and heavy rock together but, skilfully, none of the three appear together, letting one go ahead before pulling it back letting the next appear and again a third time, repeating the trick throughout. 

A standout track for sure is ‘Uncanny Valley’ with its subtle employment of acoustic guitars that somehow fabricate a richer, full bodied atmosphere for the main drag of the song without ever getting in the way of the tracks role. There’s catchiness and, almost, a fun element to ‘Do Me A Favor’ with its jaunty drumming, effective chant-a-long parts and hook filled guitar riffs which leads, with a marching drum and big piano keys, into ‘The Conflagration’ before ending with that favoured Stone Sour sound – on the title track. It’s difficult to imagine sometimes that the guy singing on this record is the very same chap who once roared the bile –drenched war cry ‘ I want to slit your throat and fuck the wound’ from beneath the masked monstrosity of his ‘other job’ and that’s the point I’d like to make – Corey Taylor is extremely convincing in either role – and maybe one is closest to the ‘real’ Corey than the other – and if wound intercourse is his thing then it sounds like the world’s greatest fetish/murder two-for-one activity you could dip into – and sure beats wearing your mums bra under your jumper while socialising with friends ( that’s really not a personal confession) Sure. Corey Taylor has had the ‘expected’ drug addiction, overdose, broken home requirements that seem to be a standard cause of today’s drama queen merchants – but he’s actually much more than that, and is in fact a pretty gifted individual who writes a decent song. Is this album better than its Part 1 brother? It’s a bit heavier I’d say, less theatrical, more tender…..and, as I’m required to be honest, a truly outstanding work of everything you’d expect from Corey Taylor.

*Published in Subba Cultcha*

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