ROCK Staind endures the shifting of today's musical landscape

Guitarist Mike Mushok says the group needs to 'grow and mature.'
By ROD HARMON
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
A lot has happened since Staind released its breakthrough album, "Break the Cycle," in summer 2001.
Rage metal has given way to the back-to-basics sound of garage rock. The recording industry is experiencing its worst slump in decades. Radio stations have abandoned alternative in favor of classic rock or R & amp;B.
It's a different musical landscape, and many hard-rock bands that stood tall just two years ago have since been toppled.
But Staind has not only survived the shift, it's thrived. "14 Shades of Grey," the follow-up to "Break the Cycle," debuted at No. 1 in May. The track "So Far Away" rested comfortably at No. 1 on Billboard's mainstream rock and modern rock charts, and at No. 12 on the Hot 100 chart 17 weeks after its release.
Guitarist and co-songwriter Mike Mushok attributes it to a loyal fan base and the band's willingness to push the boundaries.
"You've got to try to grow and mature," he said by telephone. "Hopefully, you will take the fans you have along with you and gain some new ones along the way."
Variety of style
The maturity reflected on "14 Shades of Grey" is both musical and lyrical. Instead of every track being an in-your-face sonic attack, it's a balance of full-tilt rockers and softer songs in the vein of "It's Been a While" from "Break the Cycle."
And although the sense of alienation that's always been the band's M.O. is still there, it's sprinkled with a bit of optimism, like this line from "So Far Away:" "All the struggle we thought was in vain / All the mistakes, one life contained / They all finally start to go away / Now that we're here, they're so far away / And I feel like I can face the day."
A lot of it has to do with band members entering their 30s and lead vocalist/lyricist Aaron Lewis becoming a father for the first time, Mushok said.
"There are 14 songs on the album, and 'Shades of Grey' is referring to how in life, as you get older, you start to realize that things aren't necessarily black and white. There's this gray area," he said. "I think the lyrics are like that also. Aaron is the first one to tell you he doesn't want to say what the songs are about, because he wants to leave it open to interpretation. So it's the shades of gray."
It's been more than seven years since Staind released its independent debut, "Tormented," and began their long ascent to the top of the charts. Formed in 1995 by Mushok, Lewis, bassist Johnny April and drummer Jon Wysocki, the band got its big break in 1997 when it played with Limp Bizkit in Hartford, Conn.
According to a now-famous story, Bizkit frontman Fred Durst got into a heated argument with Mushok over whether the cover art of "Tormented" was indicative of Satan worshipping, which resulted in Durst trying to get Staind kicked off the bill. Durst changed his tune once he saw them perform, and helped them land a record deal with Flip/Elektra.
Staind's first album for Elektra, "Dysfunction," went platinum in 1999 on the strength of the hits "Just Go," "Mudshovel" and "Home." The follow-up, "Break the Cycle," debuted at No. 1 and sold 716,000 copies its first week. It's since sold more than 7 million units.
Dismissing critics
The band knew that trying to follow such massive success was going to be a tall order. Still, Mushok admits being a little miffed at critics who interpreted the first-week sales for "14 Shades of Grey," 221,000 units, as a sign the band was running out of steam.
"I can't say the press doesn't get to me at times, because it does," he said. "I've read some really bad reviews that have ruined days for me, you know what I mean? You go out there, you do the best you can, and you put everything you have into what you're doing, and it just gets killed.
"So I think, 'You know what? Let me hear the songs you write.' You try not to let it get to you, but sometimes, it's hard."