Come What(ever) May

Stone Sour sophomore effort is refined with pop-rock elements

Stone Sour formed in early 1990s by the front man Corey Taylor, guitarists James Root and Josh Rand, bassist Shawn Economaki and drummer Joel Ekman. By the end of the 90s Stone Sour has almost disbanded because of the most of the guys got involved into the Slipknot, for which Taylor is currently vocalist. Yet in 2002 there appeared to have been enough material for a whole album and Stone Sour released its self-titled debut. The record was warm welcomed and received high acclaim among the audience. Later Joel Ekman had to leave the band on account of serious family problems and Roy Mayorga from Soulfly was recruited to be a new drummer. This year Stone Sour’s sophomore effort has seen the light of the day. The two albums differ from each other in many respects. If the debut was mostly a raw metal and hard rock, Come What(ever) May is refined with pop-rock elements, and there are more lyrical ballads on the album. The musician’s playing is more vivid, and the texts contain more wise thoughts and interesting moments.

Come What(ever) May is a real achievement for Stone Sour

Come What(ever) May has marked certain changes in the performance manner of Stone Sour. The vocals have become cleaner and more melodious and the guitar sounds have obtained some complicated hooks. The whole album is professionally arranged and so it is quite difficult to single out the best or the worst track. The title song Come What(ever) May shows a grand step forward of still a heavy rock band with its hard drums and a rich sound, and Sillyworld is a more down-tempo track softer on vocals and a nice tune though not devoid of unkind notes. The catchy chorus on Made Of Scars and effective rhythm of Reborn will leave noone indifferent, while Your God is remarkable for an amazing solo. The first single Through Glass has an unforgettable melody and impressive vocals and the sullen track Socio refers to the number of heavy rock tracks. The closing ballad Zzyzx Rd is very personal and surprises with experimentation and a beautiful piano part. Both lyrically and instrumentally Come What(ever) May is a significant achievement for Stone Sour and one listening is definitely not enough to appreciate all of its advantages.

A real surprise from Stone Sour

It’s been rather a long expectation for the second album from Stone Sour. Being associated with Slipknot the band members have to do their best to reach a distinct sounding that would be characteristic only to Stone Sour. What the band has actually done this year is a real surprise for the old fans and a new object of admiration for those who are little acquainted with the debut album. Come What(ever) May is a record combing the traits of heavy and pop-rock and offering a number of sensitive ballads, which have been probably least expected, from Stone Sour. Of course this new direction taken by the band makes the audience wonder where they are going to turn next time, but one just can’t help liking the album. The loud screaming here is substituted for by worthy singing, and the drum work is more powerful than on the previous creation. As for the lyrics the songs are devoted to various topics from politics to personal feelings, and the front man’s creativeness impresses with witty texts. Come What(ever) May is not only the best that Stone Sour could have done but also the one of most likeable hard-rock albums of the present days.