By
Staind album five it's remarkable how much bile still sits in
Aaron Lewis' gut, how much mental anguish he's endured. But what's equally remarkable is how diligently he regurgitates it. He's like the post-grunge Job. Arguably emotion trumps
Layne Staley and
Alice in Chains as being the biggest component in this music.
Lewis' first-person therapy drove the 2001 breakthrough "It's Been Awhile," his psyche was the star of 2003's
14 Shades of Grey, and he's once again searching, waiting, wondering, and flailing on
Chapter V. "I'm still wearing this miserable skin," he cries in the churning "Please." "Why can't you just forgive me?" he pleads in the moody lead single, "Right Here." "I don't want to relive all the mistakes/I've made along the way."
Staind often settles into a stodgy trudge somewhere south of melody, and the
Alice/
Pearl Jam/
Tool forces are still strong. ("Devil" is like a
Pearl Jam-branded template.) But the thing about
Lewis is that he's just so genuine. Hundreds of frontmen pour out their emotions, from post-grunge bruisers to diary-clutching emo ninnies. But you can tell it's not a gimmick with
Lewis. There are no illusions to his lyrics, no opportunistic shadows behind his words. "Tell me please/Who the f*ck do you want me to be?" --
Lewis could care less about looking macho when his heart's on the line. He searches for his emotional rescue in every note of every song, and if the hook suffers, well, too bad. Unfortunately they do suffer on
Chapter V -- the mostly mid-tempo songs plod along, usually turning to a screeching lead guitar over chunky chording to differentiate the choruses. But by this point in the band's career it's likely fans are responding exclusively to
Lewis' heady turmoil, not just waiting for a melody as strong as the one in "It's Been Awhile."
V does still has its moments. "Take This" builds gently to an understated chorus -- it wouldn't be out of place on a
Lifehouse album -- and "Right Here" is strong. As for rocking, "Falling" satisfies in a mid-'90s modern rock radio sort of way. But
Staind is still about that wounded muscle in
Lewis' chest, and whether or not he'll ever find redemption.