Believe it or not, Stone Sour has been around for fourteen years. Formed in 1992 the band took a break in 1997 while vocalist Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root began their journey with Slipknot. Toward the end of Stone Sour's demo days they had more in common with Slipknot than current day Stone Sour; they were darker, heavier, and more metal than the modern day heavy rock/metal version -- although many songs from those early demos have resurfaced on the debut self-titled full-length and this, the follow-up, Come What(ever) May.

When Slipknot dropped their Roadrunner debut it lit up the metal world. Sure, they had a gimmick with their ridiculous masks that were cool for a minute; beneath the masks, however, was a talented metal band (except for the idiotic clown that does nothing but look idiotic) and the album reflected this. Sadly, Slipknot must have traveled through Turdville USA on their first big tour, bought some real estate and settled down, because that's where they've been ever since. So when Stone Sour resurfaced in 2000 (under the name SuperEgo) and released their major label debut three years later I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. It wasn't original by any means, but it was a crushing slab of modern rock/metal. Come What(ever) May offers little in terms of evolution from that album, but it rocks no less.

The first two songs released from this album, "30/30-150" and "Reborn," didn't impress me much initially. I felt they lacked the catchiness present on the last album. Now that I've had time to get to know the songs, I've changed my mind. "30/30-150" and "Reborn" are both catchy and heavy, the two key ingredients present in the best of Stone Sour's heavier songs, and they're clearly two of the best the band has recorded. The opening triumvirate, consisting of "30/30-150," "Come What(ever) May" and "Hell & Consequences," kicks down the door in dramatic fashion: heavy grooves, melodic overtones and killer hooks. The next up is "Sillyworld," an acoustic/electric rocker that is overshadowed by its stupid name and lyrical line of "I can't take your silly world; I can't take your silly world no more." "Your God" and "Made Of Scars" (originally titled "Scars") are re-recorded from the 2000 SuperEgo demo, both are of the standard fare.

"Through Glass" is a very simple acoustic number that, again, I initially didn't like much, but when my CD player in my truck recently died I heard this song on the radio about every two minutes when I was driving, and instead of growing to despise it -- like the Chili Peppers' "Dani California" -- I eventually just couldn't get it out of my head; its simplicity won me over and I now find it to be an excellent, emotionally heavy track; a definite album highlight for me. "Socio" and "1st Person" are decent rock songs with some heavier moments, but generally just kind of putter along, offering little. If Stone Sour needed an epic track, "Cardiff" is the one. The song is a slow pressure-cooker of dark, brooding metal that builds and builds and explodes during the chorus; a masterful and moving track. The album closes with "Zzyxx Rd.," an emotive piano/acoustic piece that could have come from any number of rock albums from the Eighties; a mellow ending, but a damn good one.

The production of the album is generally very good, but the guitar tone on the heavier tracks sort of undermines the heaviness of the album; where the fierce metal grooves of "30/30-150" and "Reborn" should feel like being hit with repeated right hooks from a young Mike Tyson, it feels like being hit with a pillow swung by the 89lb and heinously anorexic (among other things) Nicole Richie, in comparison. There's not enough crunch, power; it's too soft and fluffy. Overall, however, it's not too much of a detriment; it simply leaves me wanting something a little heavier. Musically everything is tight and vocally Corey Taylor shows once again that while he may be unjustly mocked by many, his vocals are some of the best in the game (for this style of music); strong, powerful and emotional.

Come What(ever) May is a solid album from beginning to end with a few missteps and stumbles along the way. While Slipknot seems to be wallowing in its own self-indulgence, Corey Taylor and Jim Root, along with Josh Rand, Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga (recently replacing Joel Ekman after the unfortunate death of his son), have once again created the antithesis to Slipknot's continued disappointing output. Should the two be compared? Of course not, but one must question the point of one when the other is so much better.

* Some versions of this album include two bonus tracks, "Suffer" and "The Frozen," the former being a good, heavy number, but definitely a bonus track for a reason, while the latter is a poignant spoken word piece like the Taylor-penned "Omega" from the last album. I'm sure they'll be included on the inevitable Roadrunner reissue in six months to a year from now.

Website: http://www.stonesour.com
MySpace: http://myspace.com/stonesour