Earlier this year, I pissed off a whole bunch of Aaron Lewis/Staind fans when I claimed that Lewis' song "Country Boy" was a "gone country" cash-in.
Let me tell 'ya -- Lewis' fans are a feisty bunch. One even tweeted at me, insulting the jacket I was wearing in my Twitter profile pic. Ouch!
But here's the good news, Lewis and Staind fans: Aaron Lewis is scheduled to play a second AZ gig this year, performing at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale on Wednesday, August 31, with other hard rockers like Gary Allan, Leann Rimes, Kix Brooks, Sara Evans, Dierks Bentley, Phil Vassar, and Vince Gill.
And for all you Lewis fanboys who don't like the country stuff, Staind is set to release a brand new record, simply titled Staind, on September 13.
I haven't backed down from my statements regarding "Country Boy." It's a warbly, plodding mess. So what does that make "Not Again," the first single from the new Staind record?
Well, it sure as hell doesn't feel as forced as "Country Boy." The song is heavy, with plenty of down-tuned, chugging riffs, but if you listen closely during those verses and that guitar solo, the song is clearly influenced more by Lewis' foray into country-western than initial listens identify.
"Eyes Wide Open," the other track available on the Staind site, features similarly muddy guitars, but breaks into some fairly classic metal motifs during the solo.
I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm a fan -- so please don't misread me -- but if I had to pick between Country Boy and what I've heard of the new Staind record, I'd pick the latter hands down. "Not Again" is probably the most enjoyable thing I've ever heard from Staind. If Lewis and the band worked more toward adding those western textures into their heavier songs (think 16 Horsepower or something) I might actually give Staind more of a chance.
After all, as a commenter once stated: "im just talking in general i mean there are millions of fans ojt there it just pisses me off that everyone is calling aaron lewis a poser just cuz he is going country des anybody else out here u derstand what the hell im saying."
Exactly.
