Album Review: Stone Sour - Hydrograd

In many ways, Stone Sour have had a more consistent career than vocalist Corey Taylor's other band Slipknot.

Unlike that band, Stone Sour's future has never truly been in doubt and they've yet to release anything as polarising as Slipknot's Iowa or All Hope Is Gone - despite going full concept album on their last two full-lengths. Their songwriting has stayed solid throughout their career.

Fifth album Hydrograd, though, feels a little spotty. At 15 songs, it's packed with tunes, but it may have benefited from some trimming. Intro Ysif and opener proper Taipei Person/Allah Tea are completely disposable. It isn't until the anthemic churn of Knievel Has Landed that the album starts to really deliver a sense of energy.

Even then, the album's more memorable moments have problems. Taylor excels at delivering huge, captivating choruses. However, many songs tend to lose steam in between those moments; cuts like The Witness Trees and the title track boasting fantastic choruses and largely forgettable verses. There's lots of tom-beating and melodramatic guitar parts but it mostly rings hollow.

In writing the record, the band discussed focusing on a more rock-driven direction than on previous recordings. Unfortunately, that approach seems to have left them sounding a little toothless. Disappointing.