Stone Sour
Come What(ever) May

Corey Taylor, frontman of one of the most extravagant bands (certainly not original nor transgressive), the Slipknot, tries again with "his" personal band. Stone Sour bring us a new work. "Come What(ever)" is the second album of this satellite band of the 9 masked ones from DesMoines. The substance, however, changes with the latest proposal of the masked ones, but the real qualitative value is not that notable, quite the opposite. The previous self-titled album was a bit monotonous, slightly in line with the times when nu-metal was overwhelming kids looking for something angry, but it had rather interesting elements: a slight emphasis on melody, good aggression, and even excellent instrumental skill, which made them a hope, albeit small, for the continuation of the genre. So, all this is powerful again in this second album, but in the same, anonymous manner as the previous one.

First song: "30/30-150" starts strong, with a riff reminiscent of Slipknot memory then becoming fast and pounding, but a bit banal in the vocal and rhythmic solution and a very simple chorus that becomes almost annoying. "Come what(ever) May" runs along the same line: somewhat predictable riffs, catchy and impactful verses, and an easily engaging chorus. Perhaps the real point is that this album presents itself from the first bars as very impactful and, despite the hardness of the sound, very catchy. Then, I also underline, in this track, a slightly out-of-place, unnecessary solo. "Hell& Consequences" does not change the tones much, with a banal chorus, but very much so. Corey sings well, even if now and then he falls into the desire to get angry, entering the territories dear to Slipknot, while the instrumental section, with that tone that spills into oriental melodies, seems again, useless and out of place. And here it is, predictable, the first ballad: "SillyWorld": over 4 minutes of bland and heard-before melody. "Made Of Scars" is monotonous, while some healthy nastiness is breathed in the following "Reborn", with a Taylor that showcases his famous screams in the chorus. "Your God" presents a calm progression throughout its duration, a nice solo, and not much more. The melodies are rather predictable, not even that interesting. And, once again indispensable, the second grand ballad: "Through Glass". If you are looking for a song with a captivating melody, with an acoustic backdrop, here is the song for you, which, however, without being banal, is quite beautiful, in the same vein as "Bother" from the previous album. Out of the semi-metal atmosphere of the album, this is perhaps one of the best pieces, where Taylor's almost suffering voice shows all its strength and expressiveness. But, in return, the worst track also emerges: "Socio". It continues with very standard songs, without a real bite that could elevate them qualitatively: "1st Person", "Cardiff" are the emblem of this album: monotonous, monochord, with predictable and not even well-thought-out solutions. It closes with "Zzxyz Rd", a ballad accompanied by a tapestry of piano and acoustic guitars. I wouldn't know how to judge it correctly because it is perfect in its standard: it's the usual ballad that starts with the piano, with almost whispered voice, only to explode with distorted guitars that burst out solos full of sentiment, while the voice continues to sing over the guitar melodies, to then close with a piano epilogue. Already heard of ballads like this one.

Summarizing the judgement is not difficult: it's a classic Nu-Metal album: tracks pulled like a sound power but that lean too much towards commercial and impactful melodies. The problem is not so much the melody in this album as its monotony and its disorienting predictability. For those thirsty for easy easy nu-metal and easy listening. For the others, abstain.