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Rating: The ever-growing modern 'rock appeal' has accustomed us to churn out chart-topping phenomena that, from the outset, enjoy hefty contracts with major labels, high-quality recording studios, and connections with the best producers in circulation, especially in the United States. During the '90s, young Aaron Lewis, of Jewish origin, grew up in Massachusetts, where he lived the life of a typical hardworking American, playing in bars and working in hotels.
In 1995, he became the founder and voice of Staind, and after a debut album that left no mark either in the American charts or in the band's career ("Tormented"), thanks to a disagreement with an icon of Nu Metal (the soft kind), Fred Durst, he got the opportunity of a lifetime. Lewis's band, after opening for Limp Bizkit in 1997, had a dispute with Durst himself, who, soon after, impressed by the flair shown by our guys during the performance, got them signed to a respectable label, Flip Records. In 1999, they released "Dysfunction", perhaps their first 'real' album.
From the start, the pronounced melancholic-angry streak is evident, both in the lyrics and in the distorted guitars of pieces like "Suffocate" and "Me". The reality of a not-so-happily lived life ("I lost myself inside your tainted smile again" in "Mudshovel") clashes with self-harm, I would dare say 'Nihilism' of tracks like "Raw" ("Inside I'm so cold" Lewis repeats ad nauseam). The constant gray atmosphere drags, almost cradling the listener, towards respectable tracks that don't lack personality despite lacking in ardor.
Beyond all this, the band also shows skillful melodic composition, the most radio-friendly track of the album is undoubtedly "Home", a good track that flows easily accompanied by a not-so-optimistic video. A special mention is deserved by the aforementioned "Mudshovel", which I personally consider the driving piece of the album for melody and engagement. The message of Dysfunction is one and unequivocal, disappointment with everything surrounding the external world of the complex leader A. Lewis (who, in the meantime, leaves the hotels and bars of Atlanta in favor of ever-larger audiences).
Driven by singles like "Home" and indeed "Mudshovel", "Dysfunction" sold over two million copies, catapulting the band to international success, a success that increased with the band's subsequent work, the multiple-platinum "Break The Cycle", the pinnacle of their career. However, the band would leave the tortuous paths of their beginnings over the years to dedicate themselves to the more comfortable pop/rock characterizing the last "The Illusion Of Progress".
There's nothing to be done, whether one wants it or not, sooner or later the 'rock appeal' sweeps everyone away.
Album rating: 7.5
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Suffocate (03:16)
I feel nothing
Longing for something
(Relax a minute, take your clothes off
Show me what you're made of)
Just to soothe me
(All alone)
Leave me here I'm dying
(All alone)
Just kicked me in my face
(All alone)
All alone and crying
(All alone)
I suffocate
I'm not gifted
Slightly twisted
(Try hard, try hard to see if I can push you any further)
Just to soothe me
(All alone)
Leave me here I'm dying
(All alone)
Just kicked me in my face
(All alone)
All alone and crying
(All alone)
I'll suffocate
Please believe
You'll save me, rearrange me
I can feel
Your feelings running through me
Take away
My sorrow, my tomorrow
Cradle me
(All alone)
Leave me here I'm dying
(All alone)
Just kick me in my face
(All alone)
All alone and crying
(All alone)
I'll suffocate
I'm suffocating
Suffocate
(I'm suffocating)
Suffocate
(I'm suffocating)
Suffocate
(I'm suffocating)
Suffocate
(I'm suffocating)
Suffocate
(I'm suffocating)
02 Just Go (04:50)
I'm kinda numb
It's so distorted
You left me here with
This damage that you caused
My tortured faces
Those fucked up places
In my memories
None of them I've lost
But
Chorus:
I haven't been here long enough to know
Every time I feel this I just lose control
Such a cancer on the face of everything that's beautiful
I wish that this would just go
Go
It's kinda sick
I feel so dirty
I'm kinda tragic
Kinda insecure
But I know
That I'm the only
One that can fix
Whatever's wrong I'm sure
But
Chorus:
I haven't been here long enough to know
Every time I feel this I just lose control
Such a cancer on the face of everything that's beautiful
I wish that this would just go
Go
I feel so alone
From all I've become
I'll take you down
I feel so down
I'm water while you drown
You're lifted while I'm down
I'm cancer in your womb
I'm the needle in your spoon
But
Chorus:
I haven't been here long enough to know
Every time I feel this, I just lose control
Such a cancer on the face of everything that's beautiful
I wish that this would just go
Go
Just, just, just, just go, go, go
With these fucking lies
All these fucking Lies
04 Raw (04:09)
The pictures left with me won't fade
These images effect me every day
Cause of you I feel I don't deserve
The life I see in her
Just don't leave me RAW
Inside I'm so cold
Inside I'm so cold
RAW
I've never been someone who knows
My choices haunt me everywhere I go
Finally did something right for myself
My life for you and no one else
Just don't leave me...Raw
Inside I'm so cold
Inside I'm so cold
Im so cold (x2)
I can't take this
Raw
i feel so..
Inside I'm so cold
Inside I'm so cold
Raw
i feel so..
Raw
05 Mudshovel (04:41)
You take away
I feel the same
You take away
I feel the same
All the promises you made to me
You made in vain
I lost myself inside
Your tainted smile again
Chorus:
Cause you can't feel my anger
You can't feel my pain
You can't feel my torment
Driving me insane
I can't fight these feelings
They will bring you pain
You can't take away
Make me whole again
I feel betrayed
Stuck in your ways
And you rip me apart with the
Brutal things you say
I can't deal with this shit anymore
I just look away
Chorus:
Cause you can't feel my anger
You can't feel my pain
You can't feel my torment
Driving me insane
I can't fight these feelings
They bring only pain
You can't take away
Make me whole again
Mudshovel (x8)
You take away
I feel the same
All these promises
You promised only pain
If you take away
And leave me with nothing again
Chorus:
Cause you can't feel my anger
You can't feel my pain
You can't feel my torment
Driving me insane
I can't fight these feelings
They bring me pain
You can't take away
Make me whole again
You will feel my anger
You will feel my pain
You will feel my torment
Driving you insane
I can't fight these feelings
They will bring you pain
You won't take away
I'll be whole again
Mudshovel (x8)
06 Home (04:04)
I force myself through another day
Can't explain the way today just fell apart like everything
Right in my face
And I try to be the one
I can't accept this all because of you I've had to walk away
From everything
Chorus:
And I'm afraid to be alone
Afraid you'd leave me when I'm gone
I'm afraid to come back home
Another sleepless night again
Hotel rooms my only friend and friends like that just don't add up
To anything
And I try so hard to be
Everything that I should never take away from you again
Cause I heard you say
Chorus:
And I'm afraid to be alone
Afraid you'd leave me when I'm gone
I'm afraid to come back home
I cannot forget
I live with regret
I cannot forget
I live with..
I live through this
I can't see through this
I can't do this anymore
Chorus:
Cause I'm afraid to be alone
Afraid you'd leave me when I'm gone
I'm afraid to come back home
Afraid you'd leave me when I'm gone
And i just wish i was back home
07 A Flat (04:59)
Trust In me can't trust
I know, I don't believe it
All my life so scarred
what for, you can't conceive it
Everything you fear
I'll be, you couldn't live it
I whisper in your ear
so loud, why can't you hear it
I'm OK (4x)
All my faith is gone
you think I couldn't find it
Pieces falling down
shattered, nothing behind it
In my mind alone,
Lost here I'm separated
Crawl deeper in my hole
safe here from what I hated
All the demons in my head won't leave me
I know I can hear them
All the sacrifices made for nothing
Don't show can't believe it
Want to show that I'm good for something
I can't you won't let me
All your artificial words won't heal me
Because you can't accept me
And I hate myself
And I hate my face
And I hate my world
And I hate my ways
And I (4x)
I'M NOT OK! (3x)
I'm OK (4x)
Trust In me can't trust
I know, I don't believe in
All my life so scarred
what for,you can't conceive it
Everything you fear
I'll be, you couldn't live it
I whisper in your ear
Fuck, why can't you feel it
All the demons in my head won't leave me
I know I can hear them
All the sacrifices made for nothing
Don't show can't believe in
Want to show you that I'm good for something
I can't you won't let me
All your artificial words won't heal me
Because you can't accept me
I don't believe it (2x)
08 Spleen (04:40)
Can't breathe - Shut up - Shut up
I feel I give everything to you
Can't breathe - Shut up - Shut up
I think there's nothing left to do
Can't breathe - Shut up - Shut up
I don't like today
Take it all away
Just like what you say
I don't love you
Kinda like the way
Everything is gray
Just like what you say
I don't need you
I don't look like you
Do the things you do
But I'm fucked up too
I don't need you
Can't breathe - Shut up - Shut up
I feel you are what saves my soul
Can't breathe - Shut up - Shut up
I think I'll never lose control
Can't breathe - Shut up - Shut up
I don't like today
Take it all away
Just like what you say
I don't love you
Kinda like the way
Everything is gray
Just like what you say
I don't need you
I don't look like you
Do the things you do
But I'm fucked up too
I don't need you
I don't understand it, you're killing this planet
The scabs on her face it's a fucking disgrace
I blame you (x5)
Can't breathe - Shut up - Shut up
I don't like today
Take it all away
Just like what you say
I don't love you
Kinda like the way
Everything is gray
Just like what you say
I don't need you
I don't look like you
Do the things you do
But I'm fucked up too
I don't need you
09 Crawl (04:29)
I'm so lonely
You're so beautiful
Not the only
One that's pitiful
Stretched and torn, I lay here in pieces
Craving all of your deadly vices
'd Like to think that I'm not addicted
But I guess I wear it well
And I crawl
While you spit
And I crawl through you
Here I am now
Not a lot has changed
Nothing better
Everything's the same
Late at night I can hear your voices
Talking shit about all my choices
You would think that you've known me forever
Just because you know my name
And I crawl
while you spit
And I crawl through you
Everything falls apart
Everything (x6)
And I crawl
while you spit
And I crawl through
10 Excess Baggage ()
Well I know the words, but I can't really speak them
To you
And I hide all the pain that I've gained with my wisdom
From you
And I'm eaten alive, by what I hold inside
All the things that I live with I can't easily hide
And I'm left here with nothing, nothing to live for
But you
It's not easy to hide
All this damage inside
I'll carry you with me
Until I'm not alive
When you look at my face, does it seem just as ugly
To you?
I can't seem to erase all the scars I have lived with
From you
I'm so sick of this place
This taste in my mouth
Cause of you I can't figure what I'm all about
And I'm left here with nothing, nothing to live for
But you
It's not easy to hide
All this damage inside
I'll carry you with me
'Til I'm not alive
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