Artist: Stone Sour
Title: House Of Gold And Bones Part 2
Genre: Alternative Metal/ Hard Rock/ Post-Grunge
Release Date: 5th April 2013
Label: Roardrunner Records
Album Review
Before Corey Taylor and Jim Root were in SLIPKNOT there was STONE SOUR. They disbanded in 1997 but have reunited in 2002 though the line-up has faced the usual kerfuffle of changes. There are five studio albums and the compulsory live album to their name. Now we have on our hands ‘House Of Gold And Bones Part 2’, a continuation then of a concept album released last year. As it starts it reminds me of a cross between ALICE IN CHAINS and A PERFECT CIRCLE (vocally), the latter comes to be shed as it proceeds as Taylor is a diverse singer & performer. It doesn’t come as surprise as Corey himself described it as “PINK FLOYD’s ‘The Wall’ meets ALICE IN CHAINS’s ‘Dirt’” but this second part he envisioned more as a darker soundtrack to a movie. But if one considers that the themes from the first one reappear and conclude that you could still hear especially ALICE IN CHAINS.
There’s this tension between trying to marry the underground nature of Metal to a more accessible sheen of Commercial Rock. I don’t find myself disappointed or enthused but rather sitting on the fence though in truth I prefer the underground to the mainstream (not because I want to be cool – I’m too old for giving a damn about that – but because I know what I like) and there’s more of that than on part one. So ‘Black John’ starts for me better because it unrolls the fire in the belly kind of fervour with a nice guitar solo and prominence to drums and rhythm. Certainly lyrically it’s above the Commercial Rock, but I still wouldn’t praise it to the artistic peak – which may be seen as a negative comment, but I think to expect more out of those capable of it is not so bad, and in their case the capability is certainly there. However, even if not top notch still to be enjoyed!
‘Sadist’ sports some great contrasts between their chosen genres that transcend the pleasantry of the Com-Rock. ‘The Uncanny Valley’ seems to bring out SOUNDGARDEN; I’ve always liked them least from the Grunge as they were cheesy and there is a sense of posing rather than being, and the influence of them here sells me the song just as that, so thus a turn-off where I’m concerned. ‘Blue Smoke’ I’d have enjoyed more as instrumental, it’d have harnessed more emotive response. An interesting album that does push out the Com-Rock out of its radio-friendly and nothing-else-good-for crap hole and a better take on grunge than many bands that still resurrect it from its festering in musical history. Is it weird that the genre that seemed to kill Metal is dead whilst Metal is on the rise and that Metal in this case gives the grungy bits a lease of life?
Tracklist
01. Red City
02. Black John
03. Sadist
04. Peckinpah
05. Stalemate
06. Gravesend
07. ‘82
08. The Uncanny Valley
09. Blue Smoke
10. Do Me A Favour
11. The Conflagration
12. The House of Gold & Bones
Line-up
Corey Taylor– lead vocals, piano, additional guitars
James Root − guitars
Josh Rand – guitars
Shawn Economaki – bass
Roy Mayorga – drums, percussion
Websites
http://www.stonesour.com / https://www.facebook.com/stonesour
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10
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