Staind

About Staind

Staind emerged from the Springfield, Massachusetts alternative metal scene in 1995, when vocalist Aaron Lewis, guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist Johnny April, and drummer Jon Wysocki decided there was room for one more band willing to toggle between crushing heaviness and acoustic vulnerability. They weren't wrong, though it took a minute to convince anyone.

Their 1996 debut "Tormented" went nowhere until they played a show in 1997 that Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit happened to attend. He was initially offended by the album's cover art but eventually signed them to Flip Records. It's one of those origin stories that perfectly captures late-90s rock culture: a nu-metal kingmaker swooping in to validate a band that would soon help define post-grunge angst for the TRL generation.

"Dysfunction" arrived in 1999 and did what the title suggested, moving 200,000 copies in its first week largely on the strength of "Mudshovel." But it was their acoustic performance on Limp Bizkit's Family Values Tour that truly set them apart. Lewis had this raw, unvarnished vocal delivery that worked whether he was screaming or sitting on a stool with a guitar, which became their signature move.

2001's "Break the Cycle" turned them into actual rock stars. The album debuted at number one and sold four million copies, powered by "It's Been Awhile," a song about addiction and regret that somehow became inescapable on both rock and pop radio. "Fade" and "Outside" kept them lodged in the zeitgeist. The album captured that specific early-2000s moment when hard rock bands discovered that ballads about emotional damage could outsell the heavy stuff by a considerable margin.

They followed with "14 Shades of Grey" in 2003, which also hit number one and went platinum. "So Far Away" continued their run of successfully melancholic singles. By 2005's self-titled album, they'd settled into a reliable formula: heavy verses, soaring choruses, and Lewis's weathered voice selling lyrics about pain and perseverance. "Right Here" showed they could still write a hook.

"The Illusion of Progress" in 2008 marked their last album with Wysocki, who left that year. They released one more studio album, 2011's self-titled effort, before going quiet. Lewis focused on his surprisingly successful country solo career, which made perfect sense given his acoustic leanings. Turns out those stripped-down Staind songs were country material all along.

The band has reunited periodically for tours, including dates in 2019 and beyond. They're in that comfortable zone where they can play festivals and sell tickets based on nostalgia for an era when hard rock bands dominated mainstream radio. No new music in over a decade, but "It's Been Awhile" still does the work.

Staind shows are quiet in a way that's almost uncomfortable. Crowds go stone silent during verses, everyone suddenly collective and mournful. Lewis doesn't work the room much — he's there to deliver the songs, not perform for you. People come to feel sad together, and that actually works.

Known for So Far Away, Outside, It's Been Awhile, Never Again, Waste of Time

See Staind Live