Stone Sour 'Audio Secrecy'

Stone Sour is forever condemned to be Corey Taylor’s ‘Other Band.’ Plunged into the shadow of Slipknot, they have often been spurned by the metal world because they lack the intensity, and, dare I say it, the unique brutality of their Des Moines counterparts. Yet it is certainly untrue to say that whilst Slipknot tie the noose and kick away the stool, Stone Sour only have the balls to hastily scrawl a suicide note before breaking down and heading back to mummy’s arms. This can be evidenced by their previous offerings; their self-titled debut gave us such crushing tunes as Get Inside and the disaffected angular monstrosity of Monolith. Even the frustrating heartbreak of Bother is a lot heavier than so much of the shit that hides beneath the guise of ‘metal’ these days. Come What(Ever) May also provided its own fair supply of songs that made you want to reach past your ear drums and grab at your cerebral cortex until you bled from your corneas. In a good way.

However, I do not need Stone Sour to squeeze as many neck-snapping riffs into a song as possible; the whole package provided by Corey Taylor and the gang’s new offering, Audio Secrecy, demonstrates that they are never going to be as heavy as Slipknot. And, after hearing this album, that’s okay. In fact it’s really fucking okay. It makes the comparison between the two bands seem increasingly unnecessary.

Songs such as Digital [Did You Tell] and the new single Say You’ll Haunt Me strike precisely the right balance between the savage chug of the verse and Corey’s soaring vocals in the chorus. The album also offers a few songs that will rapidly become pit-favourites, as well as the sort of ‘ballads’ that could have found their place as part of a mainstream offering; however, it is an eternal relief that they are here. In particular the album closer, Threadbare, devastatingly invokes the desolation of man pulling apart at the seams; the acoustic intro leads into a jagged breakdown riff and guitar solo that satisfies in so many ways. If this is truly the sound of Stone Sour now, then I want as much of it as possible constantly fucked into my ears.

If this album is to be criticised then it would be that Audio Secrecy offers little that is new. Stone Sour have created an aura of familiarity around themselves, and this is no bad thing. In the public eye, it seems you’re fucked if you don’t change but you’re often fucked if you do. There is no fear that Corey and co. are resting on their laurels though; they offer songs that inspire and break and hurt and challenge those who listen to them. With Audio Secrecy, Stone Sour are picking up momentum; fuck knows what comes next.

It seems that Corey Taylor’s plea of ‘Just tell me who I am’ in the album’s opener Mission Statement is a bit out of place. Stone Sour certainly know themselves (and their sound) better than ever. Mission accomplished. 

Always looking in,

The Outsider

Rating: 8.5/10